Two Senators Flipped. The Vote Failed 51-50.
On January 8, 2026, the Senate voted 52-47 to advance a bipartisan war powers resolution co-led by Sen. Tim Kaine and Sen. Rand Paul that would block military action in Venezuela without congressional authorization. Five Republicans voted with all Democrats: Rand Paul, Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Todd Young, and Josh Hawley.
51-50. VP Vance cast the tiebreaker to kill the war powers resolution. Two Republicans flipped their votes after pressure from the White House. 150+ military aircraft deployed. 23 Venezuelan security officers killed.
One week later, the final vote failed 51-50. Josh Hawley and Todd Young flipped their votes after pressure from the president and assurances from Secretary of State Rubio. Hawley said his concerns were “alleviated.” Young said he changed his mind after being told there were no American troops in Venezuela. VP Vance cast the deciding vote.
Only Paul, Collins, and Murkowski held their positions.
”We Are Going to Run the Country”
On January 3, 2026, from Mar-a-Lago, the president said: “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” He said the U.S. would have a “partnership” with Venezuela’s oil industry and would be designating people to run the country.
Hours later, Operation Absolute Resolve launched at 2 a.m. local time. Over 150 military aircraft and drones struck infrastructure across northern Venezuela. An apprehension force attacked Maduro’s compound in Caracas.
Maduro was captured, transported to New York, and indicted on narcoterrorism charges. Twenty-three Venezuelan security officers were killed. No U.S. fatalities were reported.
Congress did not authorize any of it.
The Constitutional Question
Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of introducing forces into hostilities and limits unauthorized deployments to 60 days.
The Venezuela operation was not conducted under any existing authorization. It was not a response to an attack on the United States. The precedent it sets is that the president can conduct regime change operations and occupy a foreign country’s resources without a single congressional vote.
What you can do now
- Call both senators and demand they reintroduce and pass a war powers resolution requiring congressional authorization before any further military action in Venezuela. The Senate voted 52-47 to advance the Kaine-Paul resolution, then two senators flipped under White House pressure and VP Vance killed it 51-50. Only three Republicans held their position. Use Resist Bot to send your message.
- Contact your House representative and ask them to invoke the War Powers Resolution of 1973 to force a vote on the Venezuela operation. Over 150 military aircraft struck infrastructure across northern Venezuela. Twenty-three Venezuelan security officers were killed. Congress did not authorize any of it. Article I, Section 8 gives Congress the power to declare war.
- If your senator is on the Foreign Relations Committee, call their office directly and demand hearings on the Venezuela operation. The precedent set here is that the president can conduct regime change, capture a foreign head of state, and claim partnership over a country’s oil industry without a single congressional vote.
- Find your full delegation at your state page and ask each member on the record whether they believe the president can invade a sovereign country, remove its leader, and announce plans to “run the country” without congressional authorization.