Senate votes to block Trump from future military strikes on Venezuela

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNBC

Published Thu, Jan 8 2026 11:01 AM EST Updated 17 Min Ago


The Senate on Thursday voted 52-47 to block President Donald Trump from further military action in Venezuela.

The move came less than a week after Trump authorized a strike that captured the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.

The measure, known as a War Powers Resolution, only needed a simple majority to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate and would require Trump to seek the approval of Congress before using the U.S. military again in Venezuela. The measure was brought by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

The vote in the Senate was procedural, but it indicates that the measure has the votes to pass when it comes to a final vote in the Senate. It would then go to the House, where Republicans have a razor-thin majority.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/08/venezuela-senate-voting-on-halting-military-action-after-maduro-capture.html

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Article updated.

Original article -

Published Thu, Jan 8 2026 11:01 AM EST Updated 7 Min Ago


The Senate on Thursday voted 52-47 to block President Donald Trump from further military action in Venezuela.

The move came less than a week after Trump authorized a strike that captured the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.

The measure, known as a War Powers Resolution, only needed a simple majority to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate and would require Trump to seek Congress’ approval before using the military again in Venezuela. It was brought by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky.

The measure now goes to the House, where Republicans have a razor-thin majority.

[angrychair]

1. One problem

He will just veto it. It didn't pass with a veto proof majority.
This is symbolic but will never become law.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. The fact that it failed several times before it passed this time

means that some GOPers are starting to waiver.

[moonshinegnomie]

7. i dont think he can veto it

[drray23]

8. Why not ?

Every law voted on by congress can be vetoed by the president. It then needs 2/3 in both houses to be overcome.

[moonshinegnomie]

9. i dont think this is an actual law,its a resolution

i just looked it up th eoriginal war powers law. if both houses pass the resolution hes barred from sending troops. no presedential signature needed. which makes sense since its a designed to rein him in

[bluestarone]

10. WOW! i hope your right.

I'll keep checking back here.

[LudwigPastorius]

15. A joint resolution doesn't hold the force of law unless the president signs it.

[moonshinegnomie]

18. just like a senate vote overturnng a federal regulation

a war powers vote doesnt need a signature. its not a law,its congress excersizing their power to declare war

[LudwigPastorius]

20. You should tell Reuters they've got it all wrong.

https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/us-senate-vote-reining-trump-venezuela-2026-01-08/

Even if it passes the Senate, the resolution must also pass the Republican-led House of Representatives and garner two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate to survive an expected Trump veto.

[Raven123]

2. Frankly this may be counterproductive

1) Trump revels in defying anything
2) what is wrong with the 47 Senators who are ok with with additional attacks? They re just giving him cover
3) Trump will assume they are ok with him attacking any other country, since this just applies to Venezuela.


I’m just not sure what to make of it. If they have no plan to back up the Resolution, what good is it?

[bluestarone]

3. Target these 47 senators in November.

I'm sure it's an uphill battle BUT gotta do it.

[Raven123]

4. Agreed

[cab67]

14. Those who voted in favor might see good in what it does to their images.

Especially the Republicans. A lot of them are starting to see what's coming in November, and being Old Colostomy's bitch isn't going to be the winning point they hoped it would be.

I've written several times that the right wing in the US can be seen through the lens of evolutionary biology - in particular, the concept of runaway selection, which usually happens in the context of sexual selection. A feature found attractive by a potential mate will evolve very quickly, even to the point that it's someowhat deleterious to the bearer's survival. The long tail feathers on a peacock are a good example.

Eventually, they'll hit the tipping point where the cost outweighs the benefit. We might - I emphasize might - be close to that right now. Republicans will have a hard time winning primaries without Trump's base, but they'll be less able to win the general election with it.

This might be a sign of that. It's only a few Republicans, but at this point last year, it would have been no Republicans.

[amcgrath]

6. Now do Greenland

[riversedge]

11. Republican Sens. Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Todd Young, Susan Collins and Josh Hawley voted with all Democrats in favor

Senate advances war powers resolution to rein in Trump on Venezuela

The measure seeks to block Trump from further military action against Caracas.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-advances-war-powers-resolution-rein-trump-venezuela/story?id=129018473


https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-advances-war-powers-resolution-rein-trump-venezuela/story?id=129018473


By Allison Pecorin January 8, 2026, 10:51 AM
.................
A small group of Senate Republicans joined with all Democrats to narrowly advance the resolution by a vote of 52-47. It needed 51 votes to move forward.

Republican Sens. Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski, Todd Young, Susan Collins and Josh Hawley voted with all Democrats in favor of the legislation.

Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, pushed for the resolution to receive a vote immediately after President Donald Trump announced U.S. forces carried out a large-scale attack in Venezuela, capturing dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, who are facing federal charges including narcoterrorism conspiracy and conspiracy to import cocaine.


"Where will this go next? Will the President deploy our troops to protect Iranian protesters? To enforce the fragile ceasefire in Gaza? To battle terrorists in Nigeria? To seize Greenland or the Panama Canal? To suppress Americans peacefully assembling to protest his policies? Trump has threatened to do all this and more and sees no need to seek legal authorization from people’s elected legislature before putting servicemembers at risk," Kaine said in a statement on Jan. 3.

[Miguelito Loveless]

12. What about Mexico, Greenland,

Canada, Colombia, and Cuba?

[Miguelito Loveless]

13. In other news...

The Senate also voted to block Jack the Ripper from murdering Mary Ann Nichols again in the future.

[cab67]

17. I was going to say they voted to prohibit the undead from being on public school grounds....

...but you beat me to it.

But at least this one is based on reality. All of those votes to prohibit schools from providing litter boxes for kids who identify as cats were based on myth. Might as well ban cameras from the edge of the flat earth.

[cab67]

16. honest questions out of curiosity -

First - how many times has the Senate passed such a resolution?

And second - did the president at the time take it seriously?

[forgotmylogin]

19. Oh wait, we have a Senate?

What do they do again?