For a moment Thursday, the Senate did something it doesn’t do very often. It pushed back.
Lawmakers voted 52–47 to advance a war powers resolution that would block President Donald Trump from launching future military action in Venezuela without congressional approval, according to CNBC. The vote came just days after Trump authorized a strike that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
The measure passed with help from five Republicans, a small but decisive bloc that turned what had been dismissed as a messaging exercise into something real.
Maduro’s arrest is good for the U.S. and Venezuela. But the President’s claims that the U.S. will run Venezuela for years make it clear: his plans go way beyond Maduro. That means Congress needs a say—and what the vote on my War Powers Resolution is about. https://t.co/DjuopFxIZ4
— Senator Tim Kaine (@SenTimKaine) January 8, 2026
The resolution, introduced by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and Republican Sen. Rand Paul, would require Trump to seek Congress’ approval before using U.S. military force again in Venezuela. It only needed a simple majority to advance — and it got it.
Paul did not mince words. “Make no mistake, bombing another nation’s capital and removing their leader is an act of war plain and simple,” he stated. “No provision in the Constitution provides such power to the presidency.”
Trump and his allies argue otherwise. They’ve framed the Maduro operation as a law-enforcement action, not an act of war. Maduro is now facing drug-related charges in New York. The White House maintains congressional authorization wasn’t required. But, that argument didn’t persuade enough senators this time.
The Senate just advanced a War Powers Resolution to rein in Trump’s actions on Venezuela with a 52-47 vote and Republicans crossing the line to join Democrats.
They aren’t just shaking a finger at the president, they are openly challenging unilateral military action that… pic.twitter.com/nAzE3ZXYy7
— TheCommonVoice (@MaxRumbleX) January 8, 2026
CNN reports that Republicans Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Todd Young of Indiana, and Josh Hawley of Missouri joined Paul and all Democrats to advance the measure, a surprise even to some Democrats watching the vote count.
Collins backed the operation itself, but not what might come next. “While I support the operation to seize Nicolás Maduro, which was extraordinary in its precision and complexity, I do not support committing additional U.S. forces or entering into any long-term military involvement in Venezuela or Greenland without specific congressional authorization,” she said in a statement.
My statement on the Venezuela War Powers Resolution: pic.twitter.com/3Un2jCwhNe
— Sen. Susan Collins (@SenatorCollins) January 8, 2026
That last word matters. Because, Greenland keeps coming up. In fact, GOP has turned on Trump over his Greenland threats.
The resolution does not undo the Maduro operation. But, it does draws a line forward. And that line appeared sharper after classified briefings this week left lawmakers uneasy about where the administration might go next.
CNN notes that senators have pressed the White House about possible future deployments — not just in Venezuela, but in Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Nigeria, and Greenland.
Kaine said this vote wasn’t about whether Maduro was a villain. “The debate really isn’t about good or evil,” he told reporters. “The question is about who has the power to take the country to war.”
That question has been hanging over Capitol Hill since Trump’s months-long military buildup around Venezuela, followed by the strike that captured Maduro. A similar war powers resolution failed in November, when only Paul and Murkowski crossed party lines.
This time, the math changed. Politico reports the vote exposed growing fractures inside the GOP, particularly over Trump’s public comments about “running” Venezuela and controlling its oil. Still, the path ahead isn’t clean.
Note: Along with Democrats and Rand Paul (I-KY), the Republicans who voted to restrict Trump’s war powers were Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Todd Young (R-IN) and Josh Hawley (R-MO).
THIS IS HUGE. https://t.co/a0fBYZXGHV
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) January 8, 2026
The measure must survive a full amendment process, pass a final Senate vote, and clear the House, where Republicans hold a razor-thin majority. Even then, Trump is expected to veto it. Thursday’s margin falls well short of the two-thirds needed to override.
Sen. Lindsey Graham dismissed the resolution outright, calling the War Powers Act unconstitutional and arguing Congress should rein in the president through funding restrictions instead.
Paul wasn’t impressed. On Greenland, he said, support for military action is nonexistent inside the GOP caucus. “I haven’t heard one Republican go up to me and say, get it by military force,” he told reporters. “Loose talk is not just not good, but it’s also counterproductive.”
For now, the Senate has spoken — procedurally, at least. Congress didn’t reclaim its war powers. But it reminded the White House they’re still written down somewhere.
