Senate Republicans defeated a bipartisan war powers resolution Wednesday that would have restricted President Donald Trump’s military authority in Venezuela, with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote after two GOP senators reversed their positions under intense White House pressure.
The measure, which would have required congressional authorization for further U.S. military operations in Venezuela, failed on a 51-50 procedural vote. Republican Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana flipped from their positions last week, when they joined three other GOP colleagues and all Democrats in advancing the resolution.
The vote represented a significant victory for Trump, who had personally called the five Republican senators who initially defied him, expressing anger at their challenge to his authority. After last week’s vote, Trump demanded the senators “should never be elected to office again” and called several of them “real losers” during a speech in Michigan on Tuesday.
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia alongside Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky and others, was sparked by the Trump administration’s military operation earlier this month that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. That operation included bombing Venezuelan radar targets and deploying significant naval forces to the region.
Hawley and Young cited assurances from Secretary of State Marco Rubio as the reason for their change in position. Both senators said they received commitments that the administration would not deploy ground troops to Venezuela without congressional authorization.
Hawley told reporters that Rubio confirmed the U.S. “has no ground troops currently in Venezuela” and pledged the administration would seek congressional authorization if that changed. Young said he secured “fairly extensive personal assurances” regarding future U.S. intentions in Venezuela.
The three other Republicans who supported advancing the resolution last week held firm in their opposition to the procedural maneuver. Senators Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted alongside Democrats against the effort to block the measure.
Kaine expressed disappointment with the outcome but characterized it as evidence of “growing cracks” in GOP unity on the issue. He argued that the threat of the resolution had pressured the administration into making commitments to Congress regarding future military action.
Trump defended the mission to capture Maduro as “one of the most successful attacks ever,” dismissing criticism from the senators who supported the war powers measure. He also threatened military action to accomplish his stated goal of possessing Greenland, further alarming lawmakers concerned about presidential overreach.
The procedural motion that killed the resolution was based on an argument by Senate Republicans that the measure should not receive privileged status because the U.S. is not currently engaged in hostilities with Venezuela. Senator Jim Risch of Idaho, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, raised the point of order that succeeded in blocking the measure.
Democrats and some Republicans had argued that Trump’s recent statements about running Venezuela and the potential for future troop deployments justified congressional action. Trump has maintained a significant naval presence in the Caribbean and has not ruled out additional military operations.
The question of presidential authority and Congress’s role in authorizing military action has roiled Capitol Hill in recent months as the Trump administration escalated its military campaign in South America. Classified briefings on the Venezuela operation deepened partisan divisions on the issue.
Paul criticized the administration for what he called a “bait and switch,” noting that officials initially described the military buildup as a counternarcotics operation but are now highlighting Venezuela’s oil reserves as a strategic interest.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of “blindly endorsing” Trump and failing to assert Congress’s constitutional authority over matters of war. He warned that the vote created “a roadmap to another endless war.”
The defeat marks the latest setback in efforts by Senate lawmakers to reassert control over the use of military force. Similar measures were defeated last year, and the resolution’s failure underscores Trump’s significant influence over Republican lawmakers.
