A resolution aimed at preventing President Trump from engaging in any future military actions against Venezuela was pulled from the Senate on Wednesday. This followed Vice President J.D. Vance’s tie-breaking vote to dismiss it.
Last week, a resolution to halt military actions against Venezuela gained unanimous backing from all five Republican senators and the Democrats, which understandably upset Trump. However, for it to take effect, it needed to be ratified by both the House and Senate.
Senators Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) had initially supported the resolution, but they reversed their positions on Wednesday after facing pressure from Trump and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch (R-Idaho) to block the measure.
The effort to stop the bill succeeded with a 51-50 vote.
Risch contended that the resolution was unneeded since no U.S. troops are present in Venezuela. He remarked, “The purpose of this resolution is to stop something that is not happening,” suggesting it was unnecessary.
He further criticized the notion of having multiple leaders, stating, “Only Congress could come up with this,” and added that “having 535 commanders-in-chief is a really bad idea.”
Senators Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) sided with Democrats in voting to block military action in Venezuela once again.
Before the vote, Hawley expressed some worries about a potential military occupation of Venezuela. However, after discussions with the president and high-ranking government officials, he concluded that there were no such plans. “I’ve talked to the president… The secretary of state has made it clear, ‘We’re not doing that,’” Hawley said during a FOX News segment. “And you know what? That’s enough for me.”
In a post on Truth Social following last week’s vote, Trump accused the Senate of trying to “take away our authority to fight and protect the United States of America.” He expressed disappointment in Republicans who sided with Democrats, suggesting they ought to be “ashamed” and would “never be elected to office again.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) rebuked Republicans for their stance, claiming they had “abdicated their responsibility” by voting against the resolution. He warned that the outcome of the vote set the stage for “another endless war.”
Senator Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the author of the resolution, assured that Democrats would continue to propose more force resolutions in light of Trump’s aggressive rhetoric toward other nations.
