The dramatic U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro has sparked a sharp constitutional debate in Washington, shifting attention from the spectacle of the raid to deeper questions about presidential power. What initially dominated headlines as a foreign-policy victory has quickly become a domestic dispute over who has the authority to approve the use of American military force.

At the center of the controversy is whether the administration acted beyond constitutional limits by carrying out the operation without prior congressional authorization. Long-standing tensions between the executive and legislative branches over war powers have resurfaced, echoing decades of debate in which presidents from both parties have relied on expansive interpretations of their commander-in-chief authority.

Tim Kaine has emerged as a leading voice in the pushback, pledging to force a Senate vote on a War Powers Resolution that would restrict further military action against Venezuela without explicit approval from Congress. Kaine has framed the issue as less about Venezuela itself and more about restoring the constitutional balance between Congress and the presidency at a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

The debate has revived scrutiny of the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires presidents to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing U.S. forces into hostilities and limits such actions without authorization. As lawmakers prepare for key votes, they face a defining choice: reassert Congress’s role in decisions of war, or allow executive authority over military action to continue expanding.