On Jan. 8, the U.S. Senate advanced Senate Joint Resolution 98 (S.J.Res.98), a motion that would have required President Donald Trump to seek congressional authorization before ordering further military activity in Venezuela. The motion comes just five days after the Trump administration executed a military strike in Venezuela and captured its incumbent president, Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The motion, which provided frameworks to “direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress,” initially passed 52-47, with one senator abstaining. This measure was presented in the Senate following widespread debate over the ethics and constitutionality of presidents exercising their war power without prior congressional approval.
On Jan. 14, 2026, however, the final vote count shifted to a 51-50 failing vote. Two Republicans flipped their vote, withdrawing their earlier support for the measure and Vice President JD Vance cast a tie-breaking vote, defeating the resolution from taking effect.
Five Republican senators who initially voted in favor of advancing the resolution. However, Republican senators Josh Hawley, of Missouri and Todd Young, of Indiana, later voted against the resolution, resulting in a 50-50 split.
Their withdrawn support for S.J.Res.98 follows a post President Trump published on Truth Social rebuking the five Republican senators by name: “Republicans should be ashamed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. Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again.”
Republican senator Jim Risch of Idaho, raised a point-of-order objection, citing there were currently no U.S. Armed Forces deployed in Venezuela, negating the need for the Senate to vote on a war powers resolution. Vice President Vance’s tie-breaking vote ultimately pushed the measure to defeat.
