Senate rejects bid to block military moves against Venezuela

• The resolution failed despite bipartisan demands for increased transparency with Congress about Trump's aggressive anti-narcotics tactics off Venezuela's coast.
• The measure — led by Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and backed by Trump foe Rand Paul — was rejected 49-51, with Paul and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) the only Republicans voting in favor.
• More than a dozen U.S. military strikes have killed at least 66 people off the coast of Venezuela since September.

The big picture: Trump's continual extra-judicial killings have sparked bipartisan calls for more intel on the White House's decision making — as well as calls for Congress to reassert its power over military affairs.

• "If one president can kill anyone by decree, every president can," Paul said in a post on X last week. "That's why unchecked war powers are dangerous, no matter who's in the White House."
• "Congress needs to assert its Constitutional power to prohibit use of military force," Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), a sponsor of the resolution, said Thursday in a post on X.

Between the lines: Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed top lawmakers Wednesday on Capitol Hill about the Venezuela strikes. Democrats left the briefing wanting more information.

• "What we heard is not enough," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters afterwards. "We need a lot more answers."