March 29, 2026
The Alliance for Cuba Engagement and Respect (ACERE) applauds that three bills have been introduced to prevent President Trump from launching a military action in Cuba without the authorization of Congress. On March 12, 2026, Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) filed a privileged War Powers Resolution that would prevent the U.S. from attacking Cuba without congressional approval.[i] Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) introduced a War Powers Joint Resolution that aims to “direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Republic of Cuba that have not been authorized by Congress” on March 18, 2026.[ii] More recently, on March 26, 2026, representatives Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), introduced the Prevent an Unconstitutional War in Cuba seeking to “to prohibit the use of federal funds for military force in or against Cuba absent congressional authorization or a genuine self-defense emergency”. [iii]
All three legislative initiatives constitute important and necessary assertions of Congress’s constitutional authority over questions of war and peace. At a moment when the Trump administration has paired increasingly aggressive rhetoric toward Cuba within a broader coercive campaign against the island and amid increased military deployment in the Caribbean, these legislations serve as a clear reminder that the use of U.S. military force cannot lawfully rest on the seating President’s will to please a given constituency or for political objectives.
Representative Jayapal warned upon introducing the Prevent an Unconstitutional War in Cuba Act that, “Trump has started illegal regime change conflicts in Venezuela and Iran and is now threatening Cuba. These military attacks put our troops in danger, endanger innocent civilians, waste billions of taxpayer dollars, and are not what the American people want.” “The United States cannot bomb Cuba out of economic collapse or political repression—lasting change must come through empowering the Cuban people, not doubling down on a failed approach that disproportionately harms them,” Meeks stated.[iv]
The War Powers Resolution introduced by Velazquez further defends that Congress “has not declared war upon Cuba or upon any person or organization within Cuba, nor enacted a specific statutory authorization for the use of military force within or against Cuba.” By underscoring that even the current oil blockade or quarantine conducted by U.S. armed forces would constitute hostilities within the meaning of the War Powers Resolution, it draws a firm legal line between coercive posturing and lawful authority—especially at a time when ambiguity itself can become a tool of escalation.[v]
These bills are significant not only because of what they would prohibit, but because of what they reaffirm— Congress alone has the constitutional power to declare war. Despite the previous unsuccessful attempts of Democratic lawmakers to prevent military attacks against Venezuela and Iran, it is imperative to stop a violent conflict so close to our southern border. While the war powers resolution introduced in the Senate is privileged and should move on an expedited timeline for a vote on the floor, the Jayapal and Meeks bill is unlikely to advance through the committee process while Republicans hold the majority in the House and Senate.[vi]
The importance of these legislative initiatives is heightened by the political and military context in which they were introduced. In March 2026, President Trump publicly declared that “Cuba is next” and separately suggested that he expected to have the “honor” of “taking Cuba in some form,” statements that were widely interpreted as raising the possibility of military action. Senior U.S. military officials felt compelled to publicly state that the United States was not preparing for an invasion of Cuba, an extraordinary clarification that speaks to how seriously such rhetoric was being received.[vii]
Military escalation toward Cuba would not occur in a vacuum. Rather, the Trump administration’s declared oil blockade and measures to cut all the income streams of the Cuban economy, have resulted in a deepening humanitarian crisis. The lack of a minimally organized political opposition in Cuba means that the regime change pursued by the Trump administration will require boots on the ground. In this context, any move toward military confrontation would almost certainly deepen and expand civilian suffering rather than resolve the crisis.
A reckless military action toward Cuba would carry consequences for the United States also. Analysts and regional officials fear that efforts to destabilize or forcibly displace Cuba’s government could trigger another major migratory wave, and are already preparing to tackle it.[viii] Military confrontation or maritime escalation in the Florida Straits or broader Caribbean would not simply be a foreign policy gamble—it would risk direct domestic consequences for Southern states.
Whatever views and positions on the Cuban government, an executive overreach to use military force in Cuba must not be normalized through threats, misinformation, and investment promises. Congress has both the legal authority and the democratic responsibility to prevent an unnecessary and potentially disastrous conflict with one of our closest neighbors, and these legislations are important steps in that direction.
[i] “Kaine, Schiff & Gallego Introduce War Powers Resolution for Cuba” https://www.kaine.senate.gov/press-releases/kaine-schiff-and-gallego-introduce-war-powers-resolution-for-cuba; https://www.kaine.senate.gov/download/cuba-wpr
[ii] Nydia M. Velázquez, H.J. Res. — To Direct the Removal of United States Armed Forces from Hostilities Within or Against the Republic of Cuba That Have Not Been Authorized by Congress, March 18, 2026 https://velazquez.house.gov/sites/evo-subsites/velazquez.house.gov/files/evo-media-document/cuba-wpr.pdf
[iii] Prevent an Unconstitutional War in Cuba Act https://mcusercontent.com/e711646c72c197262ff8d3d32/files/8f5ce1d2-eb58-574d-40bd-95638403a3b8/JAYAPA_086_xml.pdf
[iv] House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrats, “Meeks, Jayapal Introduce Legislation to Block Trump from Attacking Cuba,” March 26, 2026, https://democrats-foreignaffairs.house.gov/2026/3/meeks-jayapal-introduce-legislation-to-block-trump-from-attacking-cuba.
[v] “Velázquez Introduces Cuba War Powers Resolution”https://velazquez.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/velazquez-introduces-cuba-war-powers-resolution
[vi] The Hill, “Democratic lawmakers seek to block funds for military action in Cuba,” March 26, 2026, https://thehill.com/policy/international/5801225-jayapal-meeks-cuba-military-action-funding/
[vii] Reuters, “Trump says ‘Cuba is next’ in speech touting US military successes,” March 27, 2026, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/trump-says-cuba-is-next-speech-touting-us-military-successes-2026-03-27/; Reuters, “US military not preparing for Cuba invasion, senior US general says,” March 19, 2026.
[viii] Reuters, “Judge probes Trump administration on ‘unwritten’ deal for Mexico to accept Cubans,” March 25, 2026, https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/judge-probes-trump-administration-unwritten-deal-mexico-accept-cubans-2026-03-25/; Reuters, “Who are the players deciding Cuba’s future amid talks with US?,” March 27, 2026, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/who-are-players-deciding-cubas-future-amid-talks-with-us-2026-03-27/.
