Vance breaks Senate tie, blocks Venezuela war powers resolution
Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DY) during the House briefing day on the situation in Venezuela on Capitol Hill in Washington on January 7, 2026.
Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters
Vice President J.D. Vance cast a tie-breaking vote on Wednesday, blocking a resolution aimed at preventing President Donald Trump from using the military in Venezuela.
Vance’s vote on the point of order for the measure, known as the war powers resolution, indicates that Trump was able to successfully lobby enough Republican senators to change their votes. Last week, five Republican senators came together to vote with Democrats; It was a stunning defeat for Trump after he ordered the attack that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Since then, the White House has engaged in a fierce lobbying effort to block the measure.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo), one of the senators who voted for the measure, reversed his vote earlier this week, saying it was convincing in addressing the administration’s concerns.
“The interaction has been really positive,” Hawley told reporters in an interview earlier this week.
Trump himself was clear: He demanded that the Senate kill the measure. After making progress last week, he said the group of five who voted for him should never be elected to office again.
