Republican Senators sunk a measure to halt the U.S. military’s strikes against alleged boats off the coast of Venezuela that President Trump’s administration argues are smuggling drugs into the country.

The resolution, spearheaded by Democratic Sens. Adam Schiff (Calif.) and Tim Kaine (Va.), failed to pass in a 48-51 vote on Wednesday.

The measure would have stopped the U.S. military from taking out vessels from Venezuela that the president argued were smuggling fentanyl into the U.S.

“And we are here today to ask our colleagues to join us in this nonpartisan vote, in this affirmation of Congress's authority to declare war or to refuse to declare it, to authorize force, or to refuse to authorize it,” Schiff said Wednesday on the Senate floor ahead of the vote.

“We have been precise and

See Full Page