Senate Republicans block Democrats' attempt to force Cuba war powers vote

Washington — Senate Democrats connected Tuesday tried to unit a ballot connected a measurement to forestall President Trump from launching a subject onslaught connected Cuba, arsenic helium repeatedly threatens action against the island. 

But Republicans blocked the procedural ballot from moving forward, arguing that the U.S. isn't engaged successful hostilities with Cuba. The contented is "moot," GOP Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said. 

Democrats are seeking to get up of the president connected Cuba aft helium took unilateral enactment against Venezuela and Iran.

The resolution was introduced successful March by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, who has besides spearheaded the efforts successful the Senate to rein successful Mr. Trump connected Venezuela and Iran. More than fractional a twelve votes related to subject enactment successful those countries person yielded akin results, with astir Republicans voting down restrictions connected subject enactment and defending the president's wide authorization to usage subject force. 

"I've ne'er heard the proposition that Cuba poses an imminent information menace to the United States," Kaine said connected the Senate level up of the vote. 

Since the U.S. subject captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro successful January, Mr. Trump has warned that helium has had his sights acceptable connected Cuba. He has said that helium believed helium would person "the grant of taking Cuba" and that "Cuba's going to beryllium next." 

Earlier this month, Mr. Trump said subject enactment against Cuba is inactive connected the table. 

"We whitethorn halt by Cuba aft we're finished with this," helium said, referring to the Iran war. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has been much nonstop astir the administration's imaginable goals successful Cuba, testifying to Congress successful January that "we would emotion to spot the authorities determination change." He said it would beryllium of "great benefit" to the U.S. and has besides called for economical reforms. The medication has said it is looking to resoluteness its concerns with Cuba done diplomacy, but has not ruled retired immoderate benignant of subject action.

Kaine argued the U.S. is already engaged successful hostilities with Cuba, citing the Trump administration's lipid blockade connected the land that has had devastating effects connected civilians. Kaine said the U.S. would see the blockade an enactment of warfare if the tables were turned. 

"The U.S. is utilizing unit to artifact vigor from going to Cuba," helium said. 

Cuban enactment has said the state is acceptable to combat immoderate U.S. aggression. 

As tensions stay high, the 2 countries person engaged successful diplomatic talks. A delegation of elder State Department representatives traveled to Cuba earlier this month, marking the archetypal clip a U.S. authorities level has landed successful Cuba since President Barack Obama traveled to the island successful 2016. 

A State Department authoritative told CBS News that Mr. Trump is unfastened to resolving the United States' concerns done diplomacy, but helium "will not fto the land illness into a large nationalist information menace if Cuba's leaders are unwilling oregon incapable to act."