"Young said in a statement that while he's deeply skeptical of committing U.S. troops to Venezuela, he switched his vote after receiving a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio committing to seek congressional approval ahead of any major military operations in the South American nation. He also said Rubio committed to testify publicly before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the situation in Venezuela later this month."
"After numerous conversations with senior national security officials, I have received assurances that there are no American troops in Venezuela, Young said. I've also received a commitment that if President Trump were to determine American forces are needed in major military operations in Venezuela, the Administration will come to Congress in advance to ask for an authorization of force."
Senate Republicans switched positions to defeat a measure that would have required the president to seek congressional approval before further military action in Venezuela. Five Republicans initially joined Democrats to force the vote, but Senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young later changed their votes, enabling a tie-breaking vice-presidential vote that killed the measure. Both senators cited assurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that there are no American troops in Venezuela and that the Administration would seek congressional authorization and Rubio would testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee if major operations were contemplated. Skepticism remains about whether those assurances will constrain presidential action.
Read at www.esquire.com
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