by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News January 15, 2026
Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking Wednesday night as the Senate voted down a Democrat-led War Powers Resolution which sought to rein in President Donald Trump’s ability to launch military action against Venezuela.
Five Republicans had voted to advance the legislation last week, but two of them — Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana — flipped and voted against the bill.
Republican Sens. Rand Paul of Kentucky, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, and Susan Collins of Maine joined Democrats voting in favor of the resolution.
The resolution was introduced in early December by Virginia Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine amid a U.S. military buildup near Venezuela and as the Trump Administration was attacking alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
As the bill was pending, Trump ordered a clandestine military operation on Jan. 3 that resulted in the caputer of Venezuelan socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro.
On Jan. 8, the resolution cleared an initial procedural vote 52-47, with the five Republicans joining their Democrat colleagues.
Following the initial vote, Trump took Truth Social to call for the senators’ ouster.
“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” Trump wrote. “This Vote greatly hampers American Self-Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief.”
Young, in a statement Wednesday, said his change in position followed conversations with senior national security officials who assured him there are no troops on the ground in Venezuela and with Trump, who said if U.S. forces were needed in military operations in the South American nation the administration would ask Congress for authorization.
“I strongly believe any commitment of U.S. forces in Venezuela must be subject to debate and authorization in Congress,” he said.
Hawley said he decided to withdraw his support from the resolution after Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured him U.S. troops are not present in Venezuela and that the administration would seek congressional authorization before deploying U.S. troops to the country.
Kaine, who has already filed several war powers resolutions, said the Democrats are going “to be filing a whole lot more.”
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