WASHINGTON — The Republican‑controlled U.S. Senate on Wednesday defeated a high‑profile war powers resolution that would have limited President Donald Trump’s ability to order further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval, marking a significant political victory for the White House and an emphatic rebuke to lawmakers seeking to assert congressional authority over war powers.
The resolution — spearheaded by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and backed by a handful of Republicans — was intended to require Trump to seek congressional consent before authorizing additional military operations in or against Venezuela following a surprise U.S. military operation earlier this month that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
However, the Senate vote ended in a 51‑50 tie, and Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tie‑breaking vote to kill the measure, effectively preserving broad executive authority over future actions.
A key turning point came when two Republican senators — Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana — reversed their earlier support after intense pressure from the White House and assurances from senior officials that no U.S. ground troops are currently in Venezuela and that Congress would be consulted on any major future operations.
Only three Republicans ultimately joined all Senate Democrats in backing continued debate on the resolution: Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine.
Supporters of the resolution cast it as a constitutional check on expanding presidential military power, particularly after Trump’s unilateral authorization of the Venezuela raid without prior notice to key lawmakers. Critics, especially within the GOP, argued the measure was unnecessary because there are currently no U.S. troops engaged in “hostilities” in Venezuela.
The defeat underscores ongoing tensions on Capitol Hill over the balance of war powers between Congress and the presidency, and it reflects Trump’s continued influence over his party’s Senate members. Democrats have pledged to continue pushing for limits on unilateral presidential military action.
This report is based on multiple news sources including Reuters, Al Jazeera, The Guardian, PBS, and ABC News.
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