On Wednesday, the Senate voted 51-50 to initiate a resolution aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from using military force against Venezuela in the future.
Republican Senators Josh Hawley from Missouri and Todd Young from Indiana, who had opposed Trump’s stance on Venezuela back on January 8, changed their votes under significant pressure from the president. Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie-breaking vote, allowing Republican priorities to take precedence, which put a stop to the resolution’s consideration.
If the Republicans don’t veto the bill, Trump might face another setback from the Senate after Hawley, Young, and three other Republicans supported curbing his powers and advancing the war powers legislation on Thursday.
Hawley, expressing ongoing concerns about regime change, had reviewed sensitive details regarding the administration’s justifications for potential military actions in Venezuela prior to the vote. He also mentioned having a conversation with Rubio, who assured him the administration would seek Congressional approval before deploying troops to Venezuela.
Young, following extensive discussions with administration officials, stated he received a commitment that if military action were to be taken in Venezuela, Congressional consent would be sought.
After the procedural vote on Thursday, Republican Senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski from Alaska, and Rand Paul of Kentucky backed the movement of the war powers resolution forward despite Trump’s anger toward the Republicans who dissented. In a post on Truth Social from January 8, Trump expressed that the five Republicans who disagreed with him “should never be elected president again.”
Murkowski clarified to reporters that Trump did not change her mind during their quick discussion.
“No, I’m not going to change my mind,” the independent-minded Republican asserted.
All Democrats opposed the resolution effort.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with Democratic Senator Tim Kaine from Virginia, and Paul, are key advocates for establishing Congressional oversight regarding Trump’s future military actions in Venezuela.
Senate Republican leaders moved on Wednesday to diminish the War Powers Resolution’s “privileges,” arguing it shouldn’t apply since there are no active combat operations or troops in Venezuela. Secretary of State Marco Rubio informed senators that there are currently no U.S. military personnel stationed in Venezuela.
Republicans highlighted that their procedural tactics have recent precedents. The Democratic Party had previously voted on a resolution from Republican Senator Ted Cruz in 2024 aimed at blocking the Biden administration from advancing humanitarian projects in Gaza.
Senate Minority Leader John Thune criticized Trump’s attempts to restrict authority over Venezuela, referring to the situation as typical “anti-Trump hysteria.” Thune noted that capturing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was an “isolated raid by special forces under valid legal justification.”
“I can’t recall Democrats ever attempting to restrict a Democratic president’s actions when he launched broader military efforts in countries like Libya, Bosnia, Serbia, and Haiti, which involved numerous troops and extended airstrikes,” Thune stated on the Senate floor Wednesday, pointing out that U.S. involvement in Venezuela had only lasted a few hours, unlike those operations.
Efforts to limit Trump’s authority to carry out additional operations in Venezuela have faced challenges over several months. The accumulation of assets in and around Venezuela culminated in Maduro’s arrest on January 3. The Senate had previously dismissed a War Powers Resolution specifically targeting Venezuela in November, with only Paul and Murkowski voting alongside Democrats.
Kaine remarked on Monday, following previous discussions, that there was a feeling early on that the military asset buildup around Venezuela might not be as serious as it appeared and that it could have been a bluff—indicating some uncertainty over the situation.
