Congress just had the chance to stop a dangerous precedent, and most Senators refused.

On October 8, 2025, Senate Republicans voted down a resolution that would have forced President Trump to get congressional approval before using deadly military force against drug cartels. That vote failed, despite growing concern over strikes that have already destroyed vessels, killed 21 people, and escalated tensions in the Caribbean. All of this is happening without public oversight or a clear legal explanation.

This is not a partisan issue. It is a constitutional one. The power to declare war belongs to Congress, not to the president alone.

Right now, the Trump administration is using vague claims and classified briefings to justify what could become a new global conflict.

There has been no clear intelligence shared with the American people. No guarantee the people on those boats were who we were told they were. And no accountability for who decides who lives or dies.

Some Senators from both parties have raised alarms. Senator Rand Paul warned, “Congress must not allow the executive branch to become judge, jury, and executioner.”

Senator Todd Young admitted he had “serious concerns” about the legality of these strikes, even though he still voted against the resolution.

This is how endless wars begin: quietly, without a vote, and far from public view.

We demand that Congress reassert its authority now. Hold another vote on the War Powers Resolution. Force this administration, and every future administration, to seek congressional approval before launching military attacks in our name.

Unchecked war powers are not about keeping us safe. They are about bypassing democracy.

Sign this petition if you believe no president, Democrat or Republican, should have the power to wage secret wars without public debate, oversight, or approval.

It is time to put our Constitution over politics before it is too late.

 
 Photo: NYT