Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) reversed his position Wednesday on a war powers resolution designed to limit President Donald Trump’s authority to conduct military operations against Venezuela. The shift came as the Senate moved to block the measure after initially advancing it for debate earlier in the week.
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The resolution, introduced by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), would have required congressional approval for any U.S. military hostilities involving Venezuela unless Congress formally declared war or authorized the use of force. It was brought forward shortly after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a surprise pre-dawn operation.
Last week, the Senate voted 52–47 to advance the resolution, with Hawley joining four other Republicans in siding with Democrats. At the time, Hawley said his vote reflected his view that Congress must authorize any future deployment of U.S. ground troops, citing the War Powers Act and constitutional limits on presidential authority.
President Trump reacted angrily, publicly condemning the Republican senators who supported the measure. In a Truth Social post, he accused them of undermining national security and labeled the War Powers Act unconstitutional, arguing it improperly restricts the president’s role as commander in chief. Trump also reportedly called Hawley directly to express his frustration.
On Wednesday, Hawley voted in favor of a procedural point of order—alongside Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.)—that effectively killed the resolution. The Senate ultimately voted 53–47 to block it, with Republicans largely uniting to prevent further action.
Explaining his reversal, Hawley said he met with President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and received firm assurances that U.S. ground troops would not be deployed in Venezuela. “That’s good enough for me,” Hawley said in an interview, adding that those commitments addressed his constitutional concerns.
The vote came just hours after Trump spoke with Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, following Maduro’s capture. Trump described the conversation as productive and expressed optimism about future cooperation, saying the United States and Venezuela were making progress on issues ranging from security to trade and energy.[/read]