The Senate narrowly blocked a measure intended to constrain President Trump’s ability to use U.S. military force against Venezuela, after Republican lawmakers mustered a procedural vote to dismiss the resolution on a 51–50 margin. Senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young are among those who voted to advance the measure earlier and then changed course, officials said. Even if the Senate had passed a version of the measure, it would have faced significant downstream hurdles. That institutional reality leaves Congress with limited immediate avenues to legally constrain the president absent broader bipartisan consensus. The narrow margin and public pressure campaign underscore persistent intraparty tensions among Senate Republicans and sustained Democratic efforts to reclaim war‑powers authority.

Source: ABC News January 15, 2026 06:02 UTC