This is starting to feel like a broken record, but last week, I reported that the United States Senate voted on a bipartisan War Powers resolution aimed at limiting the Donald Trump administration's ability to conduct further strikes in or against Venezuela without congressional approval. It was the third effort on such a measure, and the first time it actually advanced for further debate and consideration.
All of the Democrats voted for it, as did five Republicans: Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), and Todd Young (R-Ind.).
It's amazing what a little pressure will do. On Wednesday evening, the Senate took another vote on the War Powers resolution, and this time, there was a 50-50 tie. All Democrats voted for it again. Collins, Murkowski, and, of course, Paul didn't budge, but Young and Hawley switched sides and voted with the GOP.
The rumor is that they were lobbied hard by the White House and personally by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump also called the Republicans "stupid" on social media and suggested they should lose their seats in Congress.
As part of the debate, Sen. James Risch (R-Idaho) asked the White House to confirm that Operation Absolute Resolve, the one carried out on January 3 that involved capturing Nicolás Maduro, was complete and that "U.S. military personnel are no longer involved in hostilities in Venezuela."
Rubio responded and said that the operation had been an extremely limited one and assured him that "there are currently no U.S. armed forces in Venezuela."
Both Young and Hawley said that this information, as well as personal talks with Rubio and other Trump administration officials, helped them make up their minds.
So, with a 50-50 tie, Vice President JD Vance came in and cast the tiebreaker, killing the resolution with a final vote of 51-50.
As I said last week, this particular resolution was introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) in early December and was cosponsored by Paul, Bernie Sanders, and several Democrats, and it's aimed at directing "the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Venezuela that have not been authorized by Congress.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Congress has the sole power to declare war under article I, section 8, clause 11 of the United States Constitution.
(2) Congress has not declared war upon Venezuela or any person or organization within or operating from Venezuela, nor enacted a specific statutory authorization for use of military force within or against Venezuela.
(3) The use of military force by the United States Armed Forces within or against Venezuela constitutes the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities within the meaning of section 4(a) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1543(a)).
(4) Section 1013 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (50 U.S.C. 1546a) provides that any joint resolution or bill to require the removal of United States Armed Forces from imminent engagement in hostilities without a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization shall be considered in accordance with the expedited procedures of section 601(b) of the International Security and Arms Export Control Act of 1976.
These resolutions are largely symbolic. They would most likely not pass the House of Representatives, and even if they did, Trump would veto them. It's also worth noticing that the Maduro regime remnants are watching all of this closely. According to the Miami Herald, the regime's interior minister and intelligence chief, Diosdado Cabello, who has a $25 million bounty on his head, has been lulled into thinking that the Democrats (and a few Republicans) will stop Trump from any further military action.
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