WASHINGTON — Alaska’s U.S. senators split their votes Thursday on legislation requiring President Trump to get the approval of Congress before taking new military action in Venezuela.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski voted yes, to advance the resolution. Sen. Dan Sullivan no. A final vote is likely next week on what some are calling a major rebuke of the president.
Murkowski said the resolution wouldn’t block the administration from taking military action but it requires “engagement” with Congress.
“What we're teeing up is a debate about this,” she said.
Murkowski attended a closed-door Venezuela briefing this week by top cabinet officials but said she still has fundamental questions. She said the rationale seems to have shifted from stopping drugs to producing oil.
“I want to know — not only as a United States senator, but I want to know as an American — what is the plan with Venezuela here?” she said. “You've gotten rid of Maduro, so that's good. But what's the plan going forward?”
Sen. Sullivan did not respond to an interview request.
His staff also sent a statement explaining his opposition to the Venezuela war powers resolution. It says Sullivan doesn’t want to limit the authority of President Trump to defend the homeland from “Venezuelan narco-terrorists.”
Trump lashed out at Murkowski and the four other Republicans who voted to advance the war powers resolution, saying on social media they should never be elected to office again.
Murkowski’s term doesn’t expire until 2029. Sullivan is running for re-election this year and has Trump’s endorsement.
