Senate rejects attempt to end Trump's blockade of Cuba
[April 29, 2026]
By STEPHEN GROVES
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans rejected legislation from Democrats
on Tuesday that would have required President Donald Trump to end the
U.S. energy blockade on Cuba unless he receives approval from Congress.
The vote on the war powers resolution showed how Republicans continue to
stand behind Trump as he acts unilaterally to exert American force in a
range of global conflicts, including Venezuela, Iran and Cuba — one of
the U.S.'s closest neighbors yet a longtime adversary.
Democrats have repeatedly forced votes on legislation to put a check on
the president's ability to deploy military force in those conflicts, but
none have succeeded. Tuesday's vote was the first pertaining to Cuba and
would have forced the president to get approval from Congress before
launching any attacks on the island nation.
To dismiss the resolution, Republicans said that it was out of order
because the U.S. is not engaged in outright hostilities with Cuba. Their
maneuver to dismiss the legislation succeeded on a 51-47 tally. Sen.
John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat who voted to
dismiss the resolution, while Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul
of Kentucky were the only Republicans to support it.
The Caribbean island is suffering from water and power outages as the
U.S. imposes sanctions and interrupts oil shipments from Venezuela. The
Trump administration is pressing Cuba's leadership to end political
repression, release political prisoners and liberalize its ailing
economy.
Sen. Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who introduced the war powers
resolution, said the blockade had caused “humanitarian crises across
Cuba," including disrupting medical care, leaving millions of people
without clean water and spiking food prices.
“My argument is that under the terms of the resolution we are already
engaged in hostilities with Cuba because we are using American force,
primarily the Coast Guard, but other assets as well, to engage in a very
devastating economic blockade of the nation,” Kaine said.
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Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, left, questions a witness as Sen. Tim
Kaine, D-Va., right, looks on during the Senate Committee on Armed
Services hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Tuesday, April 28,
2026. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
Trump has said that after the war with Iran, he will turn his
attention to Cuba. He pledged “a new dawn for Cuba” during a speech
at a Turning Points USA event last week.
Democrats argued that the war powers resolution was also necessary
to head off the potential for Trump to launch a military campaign
against the nation.
“The United States and Cuba need to find a way to peacefully
coexist,” said Sen. Peter Welch, a Vermont Democrat.
Democrats have tried to mount political opposition to Trump's
military actions by forcing votes through the War Powers Act of
1973, which was intended to assert congressional power over the
declaration of war.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida accused Democrats of ignoring
the human rights abuses of Cuba's leadership.
“President Trump is doing everything he can to bring back freedom
and democracy all across Latin America, and we should do everything
we can to support him,” Scott said.
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