Senate Republicans have voted to dismiss a war powers resolution bill that would have reduced Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks on Venezuela without approval from Congress in advance.
Two GOP Senators–Josh Hawley of Missouri and Todd Young of Indiana–flipped after personal insults and pressure from Trump and on Wednesday changed their positions to support the legislation.
The resolution was forced by Democrats including Tim Kaine and Chuck Schumer after Trump sanctioned U.S. troops to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a raid on Jan. 3 without informing Congress in advance.
Trump had ranted at the five GOP Senators–including Hawley and Young–who voted against him in the war powers bill last week, blasting them for their “stupidity.”
“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators that just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” Trump said on Truth Social last week before saying the five “should never be elected to office again.”
Trump said the vote violated the constitution and “greatly hampers” U.S. self defense and national security.
On Wednesday, Young said he changed his vote after being told by Secretary of State Marco Rubio that no U.S. ground troops remain in Venezuela.
He said he supported Trump’s decision to bring Maduro to justice, but that he was “deeply skeptical” about sending U.S. troops to “stabilize Venezuela.
“I strongly believe any commitment of U.S. forces in Venezuela must be subject to debate and authorization in Congress,” Young posted in a statement on X.
“I’ve also received a commitment that if President Trump were to determine American forces are needed in major military operations in Venezuela, the Administration will come to Congress in advance to ask for an authorization of force.
He added that Rubio will testify in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the U.S. military action in Venezuela later this month.
Vice President JD Vance broke the 50-50 Senate deadlock on the GOP motion to defeat the bill.
The Daily Beast has contacted Hawley for comment.
Despite being called out by name by Trump, three GOP Senators–Rand Paul of Kentucky, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaskacontinued to vote alongside Democrats.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Paul said it was “an absurdity” to believe that Trump had not already conducted actions of war in Venezuela. “If we don’t know it’s a war until after all the people die… wouldn’t it then be a little late?” he said.
On Tuesday, Trump called Paul “a stone cold loser” and said Murkowski and Collins were “disasters.”
After Wednesday’s vote, DNC Rapid Response Director Kendall Witmer called out Hawley and Young’s vote flip.
“Just last week, a handful of Senate Republicans were clear about putting guardrails on Trump,” Witmer said. “But after a few calls from their Dear Leader, Republicans folded — killing a bipartisan resolution to rein in Trump’s unconstitutional power grab.”
He added, “Americans have been unequivocal in their opposition to the U.S. indefinitely running a foreign country. Republicans had a chance to stand up for the American people, and instead they chose to cower to Trump.”
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