The US Senate has voted against a war powers resolution that would have prevented President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without giving Congress advance notice.
Senators Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana, who joined three other Republicans to advance the resolution alongside Democrats last week, flipped after they said they received assurances from the Trump administration.
Earlier in the day, Young released a statement saying he “received assurances that there are no American troops in Venezuela” after speaking with secretary of state Marco Rubio, and that if Trump were to pursue “major military operations” he would ask Congress “in advance for an authorization of force”. Hawley shared a similar statement with reporters.
Young added that Rubio has agreed to testify on the Trump administration’s actions in Venezuela at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee this month.
With Hawley and Young’s votes, the Senate was split 50-50 on the resolution. JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. Republican senators Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins cast their votes for the war powers resolution alongside Democrats.
Paul, who did not change his vote, said it was “an absurdity” to argue Trump hadn’t already taken actions of war in Venezuela. “If we don’t know it’s a war until after all the people die … wouldn’t it then be a little late?” he told reporters ahead of the vote.
In response to the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Make no mistake about it: this vote makes things more dangerous, not less. It emboldens Donald Trump to push further down this reckless path.”
