Trump Beats Back GOP Rebellion on War Powers as Two Pivotal Senators Flip

A procedural move gave uneasy Republicans like Sens. Josh Hawley and Todd Young an off-ramp without directly reversing their earlier vote.

Josh Hawley

Samuel Corum/Sipa USA/Sipa USA via AP

Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked a final vote on the war powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s military authority in Venezuela, ending the push before it could reach the floor.

The resolution gained unexpected steam last week after five Republicans — Sens. Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, Todd Young, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins — joined Democrats to help advance it, raising the prospect of a rare bipartisan rebuke of the president’s military policy.

But the momentum quickly stalled under Trump’s pressure, and the effort was struck down in dramatic fashion Wednesday night when Vice President JD Vance cast the tiebreaking vote.