The Senate Advances a War Powers Resolution – Updated

Update

President Trump responded to the five Republicans who voted to take power away from him to defend and protect the country. He wants them primaried.

In a post minutes ago on Truth Social, President Donald J. Trump attacks several Senate Republicans who voted alongside Democrats in passing today’s War Powers Resolution attempting to limit further military action against Venezuela, stating that, “Republicans should be ashamed… pic.twitter.com/oVJ1YdyrOY

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) January 8, 2026

Five Senate Republicans voted Thursday to advance a bipartisan resolution on the War Powers Act to block President Trump from using military force against Venezuela, a proposal that, if enacted, would unravel the administration’s plan to take control of Venezuela’s oil exports.

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the sponsor of the bipartisan measure, voted with Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.) to discharge the resolution out of committee and bring it to the floor.

A vote to pass the resolution itself is expected next week. The Senate is likely to vote to proceed to a resolution on Monday and spend the rest of the week debating it.

The resolution still needs to pass the House — where a similar measure failed in a close vote last month — and it faces a certain veto from Trump.

There likely aren’t enough votes in either chamber to override Trump, something that requires a two-thirds majority.

It’s only meant to slap the President, and will have no weight.

Original Story, January 8

After two previous unsuccessful attempts, the Senate moved Thursday toward limiting President Trump’s ability to further strike Venezuela as the U.S. leader continues to take unilateral action against the South American country.

It’s actually just a resolution and doesn’t have any weight other than insulting President Trump after an extremely successful action in Venezuela.

The Senate voted 52 to 47 to advance a war powers resolution, days after the U.S. captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a nighttime raid that came not only as a surprise to the former president, but also to Congress.

If he tells Congress, it won’t be a secret for long.

Five Republicans joined all Democrats in support of the measure. GOP Sens. Todd Young of Indiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Josh Hawley of Missouri all voted to advance the measure.

The War Powers Act is likely not even constitutional.

President Trump didn’t start a war. It was an action. Wars don’t last eight minutes.

“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,” Collins said in a statement.

“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,” Young said in statement.

Hawley told reporters after the vote, “I just think if you’re going to put troops in there for hostilities, you’re going to have to get congressional approval.”

Speaking on the Senate floor ahead of the vote, Republican Sen. Jim Risch of Idaho called the resolution “nonsense,” and said “the effect of this is to slap the president of the United States in the face.”

“That is the only effect that this vote can have. It can have no practical effect, because it’s trying to stop something that isn’t going on,” Risch added.