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By Joshua Scheer
US Senate advanced a war powers resolution to limit President Trump’s ability to take further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval. The procedural vote passed 52–47. Democrats voted yes, and five Republicans crossed party lines to support it.… pic.twitter.com/bEealferCQ
— Drop Site (@DropSiteNews) January 8, 2026
In and rare bipartisan rebuke of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, the U.S. Senate advanced a measure Thursday aimed at curbing further military operations in Venezuela. The vote—52-47, with five Republicans joining all Democrats—comes in the wake of Saturday’s stunning U.S. raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The bill, largely symbolic but politically significant, signals Congress asserting its constitutional authority over the use of lethal force abroad. Previous attempts to limit Trump’s actions in Latin America have repeatedly failed, despite U.S. military strikes in the region that have killed over 100 people under the guise of anti-drug operations.
Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) argued that a prolonged campaign in Venezuela would contradict Trump’s stated goal of ending foreign entanglements, while other Republicans signaled concerns over the costs and consequences of a sustained U.S. military presence. Trump, predictably, attacked the five GOP senators who voted with Democrats, calling them “traitors to American Self Defense and National Security.”
As CNN reported, a U.S. government official with knowledge of Venezuela policy told the network that Trump’s approach now is very different from the one he ran on during the campaign, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss internal deliberations. The official said, “Donald Trump came to the White House as a president of peace, and the drumbeat from some sectors of the Venezuelan opposition and congressmen from South Florida doesn’t fit with the president’s message.”
The co-sponsor of the bill, Senator Rand Paul, speaking alongside Tim Kaine, another leading supporter, said, “I spoke to at least two Republicans today who did not vote for this resolution previously who are thinking about it.” He added, “I can’t guarantee how they will vote, but at least two are considering it, and some are speaking publicly about their misgivings.”
Donald Trump’s Threatens
Trump tweeting that these GOP members “should never be elected to office again.” and this vote, Trump said, “hampers American Self Defense and National Security” the measure reflects growing unease among some lawmakers about U.S. interference in Venezuela—a country with vast oil reserves and a history of resisting foreign intervention. While Trump has left open the possibility of further military action if interim president Delcy Rodríguez refuses U.S. demands, the Senate’s vote underscores the limits of executive power, at least on paper.
After being briefed on the current situation in Venezuela earlier in the day, Kaine was reported as saying: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) put it plainly: “We are four months into a sustained military operation. More than 200 ‘enemies’ have been killed. American troops have been injured. We have U.S. forces arranged around Venezuela. Yet neither the House nor the Senate have been willing to hold a single public hearing.” However, Kaine did praise Rubio, saying, “You can talk to Marco about—‘Tell us about Delcy.’ He knows all of that, and he can give you a sense of who they are and what they’re up to.”
Kaine went on to compliment Rubio for putting renewed focus on the Americas, though he quickly added that Trump’s self-proclaimed revival of the Monroe Doctrine represents the wrong kind of attention.
Looking into what Kaine means by a “renewed focus on the Americas,” it seems his concern is that the emphasis is more on U.S. self-interest and intervention than on genuine partnership with Latin American countries. Of course, Kaine was also a missionary in Honduras, which raises the question of how his past experiences there might shape his perspective on U.S. involvement in the region.
I would share this transgression about pardoning “a crook that shovels cocaine into the noses of the gringos.” This refers to Tim Kaine’s criticism from about a month ago. Kaine and others should be reminded — and remind others — that, according to multiple sources, Venezuelan narcotics issues and Venezuela itself have never been major producers of cocaine compared with other countries. In fact, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration data show that around 84 % of the cocaine seized in the United States comes from Colombia, and Venezuela is not identified as a significant source or producer; most U.S.–bound cocaine routes go through Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Central America rather than directly from Venezuela.
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