By Ginika Igboke
The U.S. Senate voted late on Jan. 14 to set aside a Democrat-backed resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s authority to direct continued military action against Venezuela.
Lawmakers had been preparing for a final vote on the War Powers resolution sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) when Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) raised a point of order challenging the measure’s applicability. Risch argued that the resolution was invalid because U.S. forces are not currently deployed inside Venezuela.
Although U.S. forces carried out a pre-dawn raid on Jan. 3 that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, Risch said the War Powers Act applies only when there are ongoing hostilities.
“No language in this resolution addresses future action, and indeed, the War Powers Act doesn’t allow that unless there are ongoing hostilities,” Risch said on the Senate floor.
The Senate voted 50–50 on Risch’s point of order, prompting Vice President JD Vance to cast the tie-breaking vote in support of Risch. That decision effectively canceled the final vote on Kaine’s resolution.
GOP Split Over War Powers Measure
Earlier procedural votes had advanced the resolution 52–47, with Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Josh Hawley of Missouri, Todd Young of Indiana, and Rand Paul of Kentucky joining Democrats.
President Trump publicly criticized those Republicans, accusing them of undermining his authority to conduct military operations.
“Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again,” Trump wrote in a Jan. 8 post on Truth Social.
On Jan. 14, Hawley and Young ultimately supported Risch’s move to block the resolution, while Collins, Murkowski, and Paul continued to back the Democrat-led effort.
In a statement posted on X, Young said he supported Trump’s decision to order the operation that led to Maduro’s capture and transfer to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges. However, he said he remains wary of deeper U.S. military involvement in stabilizing Venezuela after Maduro’s removal.
Young added that following discussions with the Trump administration, he received assurances that Congress would be consulted in advance if the president determines that major military operations are necessary.
Democrats Raise Concerns About Hostilities
During floor remarks ahead of the vote, Kaine argued that while U.S. troops may not be stationed on the ground in Venezuela, American forces appear to be engaged in ongoing hostilities, including strikes on drug trafficking vessels and enforcement of a blockade against sanctioned oil tankers.
Kaine said Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that no U.S. troops are currently deployed in Venezuela but would not state that the U.S. military is not involved in hostilities.
After the vote, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) said Congress should have voted on an authorization for the use of military force when Trump declared the oil tanker blockade in December 2025 and again before the Jan. 3 raid.
“None of that obviously took place,” Schiff said.
Schiff also expressed skepticism about assurances from the administration that lawmakers would be notified before any major military escalation.
“I don’t know what a major military action, in their view, would be,” he said.
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