JD Vance casts tie-breaking vote as Senate Republicans block Venezuela war powers resolution

WASHINGTON, DC: Senate Republicans blocked a war powers resolution on Wednesday, January 14, that aimed to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to take further military action against Venezuela.

The decision followed intense pressure from the White House, leading key GOP senators to reverse earlier support. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote in the 50-50 Senate gridlock, allowing Republicans to kill the measure.

GOP blocks war powers resolution over Venezuela

Senate Republicans successfully prevented a war powers resolution that would have limited Trump’s authority as commander in chief to conduct additional military actions against Venezuela following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, 2026.

The resolution introduced by Democratic Sen Tim Kaine of Virginia had been advanced by five Republican senators who joined all Democrats, reflecting initial bipartisan momentum after two earlier unsuccessful attempts in the Senate to rein in Trump’s military actions in the region.

However, on Wednesday, Republican Sens Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana flipped their support and withdrew backing for the resolution after conversations with Trump administration officials.

Their reversal transformed what had been a potential victory for limits on presidential war powers into a tie. With the Senate evenly split 50-50, Vance intervened to break the tie siding with Republicans and effectively killing the measure.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, argued "Today, we expect a vote on a resolution to direct the removal of US forces from hostilities in or against Venezuela, even though the US is not currently engaged in hostilities in or against Venezuela,"

He further claimed, "We have no troops on the ground in Venezuela. We're not currently conducting military operations there."

War power resolution and Trump's rebuke

The lead-up to Wednesday’s vote reflected growing tensions over Trump’s actions in Venezuela with Senate Democrats pushing for a resolution that would prevent further unilateral military action by the president without congressional authorization part of a broader debate over the constitutional balance of war‐making powers. 

Earlier in the week, five Republicans, Hawley, Young, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky joined Democrats in advancing the resolution, signifying cracks in GOP unity on the issue. 

Following that vote, Trump criticized the Republicans who supported the measure in a social media post, sharply rebuking them and intensifying pressure on GOP lawmakers to abandon the effort.

In his post, Trump said "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."

Some senators who flipped their support said they received direct reassurance from administration officials. Hawley said the secretary of state confirmed that any future deployment would come with congressional consultation. 

Young reiterated that the senators had “secured some valuable reassurances and deliverables” from the White House on Venezuela. Sen Kaine said he was disappointed in the outcome but viewed the vote as evidence of “a growing set of cracks” in the GOP’s willingness to fully back Trump on foreign policy.