Senate advances measure to rein in Trump in Venezuela

The Senate voted 52-47 Thursday to take up a resolution that could prevent President Donald Trump from launching further military actions in Venezuela without congressional approval. The vote — a response to a special forces operation last weekend that took Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife into U.S. custody — allows for a Senate debate on invoking the War Powers Act.

All Democrats and five Republicans voted to consider the resolution, sponsored by Sens. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and Rand Paul, R-Ky.

While the vote is procedural, it suggests the measure has enough support for final passage in the Senate. It would then move to the House, where Republicans hold a slim majority, slimmer now after Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., died earlier this week.

Besides Paul, the Republicans who voted for the proposal were Sens. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Susan Collins, R-Maine, Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

Reaction to the vote

In a post on Truth Social after the vote, Trump said the measure harms national security, and he attacked the Republicans who voted for it.

“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. “Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected again.”

Several of the senators Trump chastised in his post released responses on why they made their decision. Collins said in a statement that her vote was “necessary” due to recent comments by the president.

“I believe invoking the War Powers Act at this moment is necessary, given the President’s comments about the possibility of ‘boots on the ground’ and a sustained engagement ‘running’ Venezuela, with which I do not agree,” she wrote.

Hawley cited the Constitution in his decision, saying a president should get congressional approval before conducting military operations.

Young said he supported Trump’s actions to capture Maduro. However, much like Hawley, Young said future military actions need congressional approval.

“President Trump campaigned against forever wars, and I strongly support him in that position,” Young said. “A drawn-out campaign in Venezuela involving the American military, even if unintended, would be the opposite of President Trump’s goal of ending foreign entanglements.“

What does the vote mean?

The procedural vote allows for a full Senate vote next week. Only a simple majority is needed for passage.

Paul said that some lawmakers want to “shift the burden of initiating war to the president” rather than taking charge themselves.

“But make no mistake, bombing another nation’s capital and removing their leader is an act of war, plain and simple,” he said. “No provision in the Constitution provides such power to the presidency.”

Would this pass the Republican-led House?

If the measure passes the Senate next week, it would move to the Republican-controlled House. While it’s almost a guarantee that all Democrats will vote to approve the measure, it’s much less certain if Republicans will.

Some GOP representatives have shown support for keeping the power of the military under congressional control. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said the Trump administration contradicted its legal justifications for the Venezuelan strike.

“If this action were constitutionally sound, the Attorney General wouldn’t be tweeting that they’ve arrested the President of a sovereign country and his wife for possessing guns in violation of a 1934 U.S. firearm law,” Massie wrote in a post on X.

Even if the House votes in support of the bill, it would still need the president’s signature, which seems unlikely, given the administration’s recent comments on the strikes.

Thursday’s Senate vote did not receive a veto-proof majority, and it’s unlikely this measure would become law.