Senate advances Venezuela war powers resolution in rare rebuke of Trump

Published January 8, 2026 11:43am ET



President Donald Trump suffered a rare setback Thursday after the Republican-led Senate narrowly advanced a bipartisan measure to restrict further military operations against Venezuela without congressional approval.

The Senate voted 52-47 on a procedural step for the war powers resolution, with five Republicans joining Democrats to support the measure, marking a significant rebuke of Trump’s actions in Venezuela after a military operation that deposed former dictator Nicolas Maduro. Republicans were broadly supportive of the operation, but the vote reflects growing unease over the lack of congressional notification and how the administration plans to manage the transition.

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