Democratic Senators File War Powers Resolution to Limit Trump's Cuba Actions

The resolution aims to prevent the U.S. from attacking Cuba without congressional approval.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 5:06am

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Senate Democrats have filed legislation that would require President Trump to remove the military from any hostilities with Cuba and prevent the U.S. from attacking the Caribbean country without congressional approval. The resolution, filed by Senators Tim Kaine, Ruben Gallego, and Adam Schiff, comes as Trump has expressed interest in a "friendly takeover" of Cuba, raising concerns among Democrats about his use of military force without Congressional authorization.

Why it matters

The move by Senate Democrats reflects ongoing tensions between the legislative and executive branches over the president's ability to use military force abroad without Congressional approval. Democrats have repeatedly used war powers resolutions to challenge Trump's foreign policy decisions, though Republicans have largely backed the president so far.

The details

The war powers resolution filed by the Democratic senators would require Trump to remove any U.S. military forces from hostilities with Cuba and prevent him from initiating an attack on the island nation without Congressional approval. This comes after Trump said this week that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was negotiating with Cuba's leadership, and that a "friendly takeover" of the country may be possible.

  • On March 13, 2026, Senate Democrats filed the war powers resolution.
  • Earlier this week, President Trump said he and Rubio would focus on a "friendly takeover" of Cuba after the war with Iran.

The players

Tim Kaine

Democratic Senator from Virginia who co-sponsored the war powers resolution.

Ruben Gallego

Democratic Senator from Arizona who co-sponsored the war powers resolution.

Adam Schiff

Democratic Senator from California who co-sponsored the war powers resolution.

Marco Rubio

U.S. Secretary of State who Trump said was negotiating with Cuba's leadership.

Donald Trump

President of the United States who has expressed interest in a "friendly takeover" of Cuba.

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What they’re saying

“Only Congress has the power to declare war under the Constitution, but he operates with the belief that the U.S. military is a palace guard, ordering military action in the Caribbean, Venezuela, and Iran without Congress' authorization or any explanation for his actions to the American people.”

— Tim Kaine, U.S. Senator

“He ran on America First, but now it's clear he's become a puppet of the war hawks in his party.”

— Ruben Gallego, U.S. Senator

What’s next

The war powers resolution filed by the Democratic senators could potentially receive a vote by the end of the month, though it faces an uphill battle in the Republican-controlled Senate.

The takeaway

This latest move by Senate Democrats underscores the ongoing power struggle between the legislative and executive branches over the president's ability to use military force abroad without Congressional approval. It remains to be seen whether the war powers resolution will gain enough support to pass and limit Trump's actions on Cuba.