US Democrats push to rein in Trump on Cuba as White House steps up pressure

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON, May 20 (Reuters) – A group of Democratic U.S. senators introduced a resolution to stop President Donald Trump from using the military against Cuba on Wednesday, as his administration escalated pressure ​on the island’s government by indicting former President Raul Castro.

Democrats Tim ‌Kaine of Virginia, Adam Schiff of California and Ruben Gallego of Arizona introduced a War Powers Resolution to block the use of the U.S. armed forces against the Communist-ruled island.

They cited the Republican president’s repeated threats to send in the troops to change the ‌government in ​Havana and reports that the U.S. Southern Command ⁠has been ordered to draw ⁠up attack plans, even though Cuba does not pose a significant national security threat to the U.S.

“The U.S. military is the best in the world, but our servicemembers shouldn’t be sent into harm’s way when there’s ​no clear benefit to the United States,” said Kaine, a leader of efforts in Congress to enforce the Constitution’s provision that the legislature, not ⁠the president, has the power to declare ⁠war.

In a rare rebuke to Trump, the Republican-majority Senate voted ​on Tuesday to advance a resolution to end the Iran war unless the administration ​obtains Congress’ authorization. It was the eighth time this year ‌such a resolution was introduced in the Senate.

Although members of Congress, including some Republicans, are concerned about Trump’s multiple deployments of U.S. forces, it was not immediately clear how a Cuba war powers resolution would fare in a chamber ⁠where Trump’s fellow Republicans hold a 53-47 majority.

Last month, the Senate voted by 51 to 47, almost entirely along party lines, to block a similar Cuba war ⁠powers resolution. At the ‌time, Republicans argued that there were no active U.S. ⁠hostilities against Cuba, so the resolution was unnecessary.

Trump has increased ​pressure ‌on Cuba by imposing a fuel blockade that has ​triggered sustained ⁠power outages and dealt fresh blows to the island’s already struggling economy.

“The last thing that our country needs right now is a regime change war in Cuba based on imaginary threats to the homeland that would devastate the Cuban people and generate a man-made migration crisis,” Kaine said in a statement.

(Reporting by Patricia ​Zengerle;Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)