WASHINGTON -- Senate Republicans voted Thursday to reject legislation that would have put a check on President Donald Trump's ability to launch an attack against Venezuela, as Democrats pressed Congress to take a stronger role in Trump's campaign against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Lawmakers, including top Republicans, have demanded that the Trump administration provide them with more information on the U.S. military strikes against purported drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. But Thursday's vote, which would essentially forestall an attack on Venezuelan soil by first requiring congressional authorization, showed the lengths of GOP senators' willingness to allow the continuation of a buildup of naval forces in the region.

"President Trump has

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