US Senate defeats war powers resolution designed to rein in Trump

Al JazeeraCenterEN 5 min read 100% complete by Allison GrinerJanuary 15, 2026 at 02:52 AM

AI Summary

long article 5 min

In January 2026, the US Senate defeated a war powers resolution aimed at requiring President Trump to seek congressional approval before further military action in Venezuela. The resolution failed in a 50-50 tie, broken by Vice President JD Vance. While it initially advanced with bipartisan support, Senators Todd Young and Josh Hawley, who had previously voted to bring the resolution to the floor, withdrew their support. Young stated he received assurances from national security officials that no American troops were in Venezuela and that Congress would be consulted before any major military operations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also offered assurances of congressional notification, circumstances permitting. The resolution sought to limit the president's power to deploy troops without congressional authorization.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

United States ×250% United States Constitution 50% Rand Paul 60% Marco Rubio 60% United States Congress ×260% United States Senate ×270% Todd Young ×470% Josh Hawley ×370% Venezuela ×480% JD Vance ×280% Donald Trump ×390%

Keywords

war powers resolution 100% us senate 80% donald trump 70% military action 70% congressional approval 60% venezuela 60% authorization of force 50% jd vance 50% us constitution 40%