Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote Wednesday night to effectively kill a Venezuela war powers resolution after the Senate deadlocked 50 to 50 on the measure. The resolution, sponsored by Democratic Senator Tim Kaine, would have forced President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before taking any further military action in Venezuela following the surprise raid that captured President Nicolás Maduro.
The nail-biting Senate session came to a dramatic conclusion when Republican Senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young reversed their earlier positions and voted against the resolution. Both senators had previously supported advancing the measure just last week alongside Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Rand Paul, voting with Democrats to move it forward for consideration.
Hawley told reporters before the vote that after a series of communications with the White House, he would join the majority of Republicans in opposing the resolution. He said he had reviewed a letter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio that eased his concerns about troops being deployed for a ground operation in Venezuela. Young similarly changed his position after receiving assurances from the administration.
The vote came 11 days after US special forces apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their bedroom during an overnight raid. Administration officials acknowledged they did not notify lawmakers in advance of the operation. Secretary Rubio defended the secrecy, stating it was not the kind of mission where congressional notification was possible, describing it as a trigger-based mission requiring immediate action.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized Republicans for what he called abdicating their constitutional responsibility in killing the resolution. He stated that Senate Republicans continually fall in line behind Donald Trump no matter how reckless, no matter how unconstitutional, and no matter the potential cost of American lives. Democrats argued the resolution was necessary to reassert congressional authority over military actions abroad.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Jim Risch countered that the war powers resolution was merely a debate about trying to stop something that is not happening. He and other Republican supporters of the administration argued that the Maduro capture operation was a successful counter-narcotics and national security action that did not require prior congressional authorization.
The outcome represents a significant victory for the Trump administration in maintaining executive authority over military operations. Critics warn that the precedent weakens congressional oversight of foreign military interventions, while supporters argue the president needs flexibility to act swiftly in matters of national security without being constrained by lengthy legislative processes.