The United States Senate rejected this Tuesday a war powers resolution introduced by Democratic senators to prevent President Donald Trump from ordering military actions against Cuba without Congressional authorization, in a procedural vote of 51 to 47.
The initiative, led by Senators Tim Kaine (Virginia), Ruben Gallego (Arizona), and Adam Schiff (California), invokes the War Powers Act of 1973 and Article I of the Constitution, which reserves the power to declare war for Congress.
The Republicans managed to block the resolution, although the vote revealed a notable rift within the Republican Party: Senator Susan Collins (Maine) and Senator Rand Paul (Kentucky) joined the Democrats, marking the first significant advance of the opposition in weeks of attempts to curtail the president's foreign policy.
The voting also highlighted the support that Trump maintains among Republicans, who control Congress, despite Democratic attempts to limit his power in foreign policy.
In the opposite direction, Democratic Senator John Fetterman (Pennsylvania) voted with the Republicans again to defeat the resolution, reiterating his stance from previous votes regarding Iran.
The leader of the Democratic minority, Chuck Schumer, urged Republicans to "do Trump a favor" by supporting the measure.
"The Republicans must act to prevent an imminent catastrophe in Cuba before it worsens further, as they should have done with Trump's war in Iran," he stated.
Republican Senator Rick Scott (Florida) defended the president and described the initiative as a "waste of time" and an "insult" to the Cuban people.
“This president has never said that he wants to put boots on the ground,” he stated.
During the debate, Kaine highlighted before the full Senate the seriousness of the humanitarian crisis facing Cuba as a result of the energy blockade imposed by Washington.
According to the details provided, between January and March, nearly 100,000 surgeries were canceled in hospitals on the island due to a lack of energy, more than 11,000 of which were scheduled for children.
Kaine also noted that more than a third of the Cuban population currently lacks access to drinking water, that 87% of the pumps in the water system depend on electricity, and that daily power outages last between 12 and 20 hours, exceeding 48 to 72 hours in some cases.
The senator also warned that food prices have risen by more than 13% and that a 40% reduction is projected in short-cycle harvests.
In a country where the average monthly salary is about 15 dollars, gasoline costs nearly 40 dollars per gallon.
This defeat adds to a series of Democratic legislative failures concerning war powers: five unsuccessful resolutions regarding Iran and numerous thwarted attempts to rein in Trump in Venezuela, where a surprise military operation resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, cutting off Venezuelan oil shipments to Cuba.
Trump has publicly declared that Cuba is "next" on his agenda and has mentioned making "a stop in Cuba" after concluding the conflict with Iran.
According to Axios, the United States has intensified pressure on Cuba through a de facto maritime blockade, utilizing Coast Guard assets and naval forces to intercept or deter fuel shipments to the island.
Trump has suggested that the United States might “take” Cuba or promote a regime change on the island.
The Pentagon has expedited plans for a possible military intervention in the island, although the war with Iran —which has been ongoing for nearly two months without a clear resolution— has temporarily pushed Cuba into the background.
In March, Trump exceptionally allowed a Russian tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil to dock in Cuba for "humanitarian reasons," and Russia announced plans to send a second vessel.
Meanwhile, Díaz-Canel warned that Cuba would respond with guerrilla warfare to any military attack from the United States, and the UN alerted about the risk of a total collapse on the island.
Democrats have indicated that they will continue to use war powers resolutions to force Republicans to publicly take a position, one of the few tools available to the minority in the Senate.
The next legislative battle will once again focus on Iran, with votes scheduled in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
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