Why It Matters

The Senate voted Wednesday to block S.J.Res. 124, a joint resolution that would have directed the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Cuba that have not been authorized by Congress. The resolution, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), sought to reassert congressional authority over military action as the Trump administration has escalated pressure on Havana, including a de facto naval blockade.

Senate Republicans killed it before it could come to a full vote, sustaining a point of order 51 to 47.

The Big Picture

Since taking office, the Trump administration has taken a series of escalating steps against Cuba. In January 2026, President Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency regarding Cuba and established a process to impose tariffs on countries selling oil to Cuba, with the White House calling Cuba's actions "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security. Beginning in February 2026, the U.S. began blocking oil tankers heading to Cuba using Coast Guard and naval assets. Trump has also been openly floating the possibility of military action against the island.

Democrats responded by introducing a series of War Powers resolutions, with S.J.Res. 124 being the latest. The resolution's companion bill in the House, H.J.Res. 153, was introduced by Rep. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-7) in March 2026.

Republicans argue no "hostilities" exist that would trigger the War Powers Act in the first place. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who introduced the point of order, argued that a war powers vote was not appropriate because Trump has not deployed troops against Havana, according to Al Jazeera. That argument mirrors the administration's own position.

This is not the first time Senate Republicans have deployed the same procedural weapon. A similar point of order was used to block S.J.Res. 98, Kaine's war powers resolution on Venezuela, on a 50-50 vote. Republicans have also blocked war powers resolutions related to Iran. The pattern is clear. The GOP majority is systematically using the point of order mechanism to prevent these resolutions from receiving an up-or-down vote on the merits.

Partisan Perspectives

Kaine asked, "When will President Trump understand that Americans want lower prices, not more unnecessary wars?" Schiff pointed to human cost, saying Trump "bypassed Congress's sole authority to declare war with attacks on Iran and Venezuela, and at the solemn cost of seven servicemembers whose lives have been lost." Gallego was more blunt, saying "he ran on America First, but now it's clear he's become a puppet of the war hawks in his party."

Sen. Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-MD) added that "a conflict with Cuba would cost hardworking Americans billions of dollars, deepen the humanitarian crisis in Cuba, and put American service members in harm's way."

The White House formally "strongly opposes" war powers resolutions that constrain presidential military authority, a position it also took with a similar Venezuela resolution. The one notable Republican voice on Cuba policy, Rep. Carlos Giménez (R-FL-28), said he was not opposing the resolution, but as supporting the blockade itself. "As the only Member of Congress born in Cuba, I fully support every and any policy that limits the flow of money and resources to the murderous dictatorship in Cuba."

Notable Defections

Three senators broke with their party. Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) was the lone Democrat to vote with Republicans in favor of the point of order. On the other side, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) were the only two Republicans to vote against it, consistent with Paul's longstanding skepticism of military interventions and Collins's occasional departures from party leadership.

Political Stakes

For Democrats, this is a losing hand that still serves a purpose. They cannot win these procedural votes, but each one forces Republicans to go on record defending a president who is, by their own account, conducting military operations in the Caribbean without a congressional declaration of war.

The humanitarian perspective, amplified by members like Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7), who called the blockade "cruel and irresponsible," and Velázquez, who warned "we've seen this playbook before," builds a political case heading into the midterm cycle.

For the Trump administration, the win is clean but not cost-free. Every blocked war powers vote keeps the underlying question alive: is the U.S. engaged in hostilities against Cuba? The administration says no. Democrats say the naval blockade answers that question for them.

Worth Noting

National Nurses United spent more than $1 million lobbying in support of related war powers resolutions in the 119th Congress, including H.Con.Res. 38 and S.J.Res. 59 on Iran. FDD Action spent $270,000 lobbying in support of the Iran war powers resolution H.Con.Res. 38. VoteVets Action Fund Inc. spent $40,000 supporting S.J.Res. 123, the Iran war powers resolution. The Americas Alliance for Liberty and Prosperity filed in-kind lobbying disclosures specifically covering U.S.-Cuba and U.S.-Venezuela relations, making it the only organization in the lobbying data with a direct nexus to S.J.Res. 124 itself.

The Bottom Line

The Senate's vote to block the joint resolution Cuba removal effort reflects a broader and deepening standoff over the constitutional boundaries of presidential war-making authority. The 119th Congress has now seen war powers resolutions targeting Iran, Venezuela, and Cuba, each blocked through the same procedural mechanism. The trend suggests Democrats have settled on a strategy of persistent, public confrontation on military authority, even without the votes to win. Whether that strategy moves public opinion, or simply generates floor votes that go nowhere, is the open question heading into the 2026 midterms.

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