Vance helps squash Venezuela war powers push in Senate, staving off second Trump rebuke

Published January 14, 2026 6:40pm ET



Vice President JD Vance helped spare President Donald Trump another embarrassing defeat on the Senate floor Wednesday, casting a tiebreaking vote to kill a resolution reining in his ability to conduct military operations in Venezuela.

The Senate voted 51-50 to table the measure, reflecting the White House’s continued but wavering sway over a Republican Congress. Just days earlier, five Republicans joined Democrats in a test vote challenging the president’s war powers, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) was able to peel off two of those senators using a GOP “point of order” that rendered it ineligible for further action on the floor.

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