The US Senate killed a Democrat-led resolution that would constrain President Donald Trump (and the next guy’s) ability to wage continued military action against Venezuela.
The War Powers resolution, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), was on track to make it to a final vote until Sen. James Risch (R-ID) raised a point of order challenging the premise of Kaine’s resolution. Then, Sens. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Todd Young (R-IN) voted to support said point of order after coming under intense pressure from Trump – who earlier called for their ouster from the Senate last week.
Vice President JD Vance then stepped in with a tie-breaking vote to break the 50-50 deadlock, handing Democrats a loss.
NOW: U.S. Senate votes 51–50 against effort to block Trump from further Venezuela military action without Congress’ authorization, Vance breaks the tie. pic.twitter.com/GAiB2xTjrN
— Clash Report (@clashreport) January 14, 2026
Democrats forced the debate after US troops captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a nighttime raid a few weeks ago.
“Here we have one of the most successful attacks ever and they find a way to be against it. It’s pretty amazing. And it’s a shame,” said Trump on Tuesday during a speech in Michigan, slamming several Republicans who advanced the legislation including Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky (a ‘stone cold loser’), and Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine (‘Disasters’). Those three Republicans stuck to their guns in support of the Democrat legislation.
Trump’s latest comments followed earlier phone calls with the senators, which they described as terse. The president’s fury underscored how the war powers vote had taken on new political significance as Trump also threatens military action to accomplish his goal of possessing Greenland.
The legislation, even if it had cleared the Senate, had virtually no chance of becoming law because it would eventually need to be signed by Trump himself. But it represented both a test of GOP loyalty to the president and a marker for how much leeway the Republican-controlled Senate is willing to give Trump to use the military abroad. Republican angst over his recent foreign policy moves — especially threats of using military force to seize Greenland from a NATO ally — is still running high in Congress. -AP
Hawley – who initially helped advance the resolution last week – said Trump’s message during a phone call was that the legislation “really ties my hands,” and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised him “point blank, we’re not going to do ground troops.”
Young, meanwhile, pointed to a letter from Rubio which stated that Trump will “seek congressional authorization in advance (circumstances permitting)” if he engaged in “major military operations” in Venezuela.
The Senators also said Rubio’s efforts were instrumental in the administration releasing a 22-page DOJ memo which laid out the legal justification for snatching Maduro – which suggested that the administration has no current plans to ramp up military action in the country.
“We were assured that there is no contingency plan to engage in any substantial and sustained operation that would amount to a constitutional war,” reads the memo signed by Assistant Attorney General Elliot Gaiser.
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