Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and other Democrats speak to reporters about President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign countries, at the Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - Jennifer Vasquez Sura, the wife of Kilmar Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador, speaks during a news conference at CASA’s Multicultural Center in Hyattsville, Md., April 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, file)
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., during a news conference upon his arrival from meeting with Kilmar Abrego Garcia in El Salvador, at Washington Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Va., Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Senate Democrats plan to force a vote on resolution for transparency on deportations to El Salvador
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Senate Democrats plan to force a vote in the coming weeks on a resolution to require more transparency from President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration about deportations to El Salvador.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and other Democrats speak to reporters about President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign countries, at the Capitol, in Washington, Wednesday, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Senate Democrats plan to force a vote in the coming weeks on a resolution to require more transparency from President Donald Trump鈥檚 administration about deportations to El Salvador.
The resolution, which Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine expects to introduce on Thursday, comes after two votes on Democratic resolutions challenging . It is part of a larger strategy by Democrats to continue using mechanisms under the law to take floor time from majority Republicans and vote on reversing parts of Trump鈥檚 agenda.
鈥淭hese votes are all about curbing executive power,鈥 said Kaine, who was also a lead sponsor on the two tariff bills. 鈥淭hat is a unifying theme.鈥
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The new resolution would force Trump’s Republican administration to report to Congress about what steps it is taking to comply with courts that have determined the U.S. government to El Salvador. Democrats have highlighted the case of , who was mistakenly deported to the Central American country and who a Maryland judge has said should be returned to the U.S.
Kaine said that Democrats want to put Republicans on record on that case and others while also pressuring the government of El Salvador, which is . The resolution would also require the Trump administration to reveal more information about money paid to El Salvador and assess the country鈥檚 human rights record. Leaders in El Salvador will have to deal with the United States long past Trump鈥檚 tenure, Kaine said, and 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to have a very long memory about this.鈥
Democrats have been under pressure from base voters to use their limited powers in the minority to fight Trump on all fronts. While the resolution is unlikely to get a vote in the House even if it passes the Senate, Democrats say it is about bringing attention to issues and forcing Republicans to go on record where they are reluctant to speak out publicly against Trump.
鈥淲e have limited tools, but this is an effective tool,鈥 said Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who is backing the resolution and two weeks ago.
Democrats have already forced a handful of votes on the Senate floor, including the two tariff votes last month. The Senate in early April that would have have thwarted Trump鈥檚 ability to impose tariffs on Canada, but Republicans this week that would have stalled Trump鈥檚 global tariffs announced several weeks ago. Four Republicans voted with Democrats on the first tariff measure, and three Republicans voted with them on the second resolution.
The Democrats are forcing the votes under different statutes that allow so-called 鈥減rivileged鈥 resolutions 鈥 legislation that must be brought up for a vote whether majority leadership wants to or not. The resolution being introduced Thursday is under the Foreign Assistance Act, which allows any senator to force a vote to request information on a country鈥檚 human rights practices.
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Senate Republicans pulled similar maneuvers during President Joe Biden鈥檚 administration under the Congressional Review Act, which allows lawmakers to force votes on rescinding regulations.
It is unclear if any Republicans would vote with Democrats on the El Salvador resolution. Most Republicans have , even if some are wary of the administration’s defiance of court orders and as some Americans .
While symbolic, Kaine said he hopes the votes on the resolutions will force Republicans to feel pressure 鈥 and potentially slow down future actions by Trump.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a way of shining a spotlight on this issue,鈥 Kaine said.
