The Senate’s war powers resolution on Venezuela is on shaky ground ahead of a final vote this week, with two key Republicans who helped advance the measure now declining to say how they will vote after pressure from the White House.
“My concern is about ground troops in Venezuela without congressional authorization. So they’ve been very, very responsive on that,” Sen. Josh Hawley said Tuesday.
Hawley was among five Republicans to support a vote last week to move ahead with the bill to check President Donald Trump on Venezuela, prompting a public callout and pressure campaign meant to stop final passage.
Hawley said he had a very “substantive” call with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who assured him there will be no ground troops in Venezuela and that the resolution is way broader than ground troops.
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When asked if he would vote “yes” again when the resolution comes for a final vote, Hawley said he was undecided.
“I’m in listening-and-receive mode at this time,” he said.
The measure, led by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and co-sponsored by Republican Sen. Rand Paul, would require the White House to get congressional approval before launching any new military action in or against Venezuela.
Last week’s vote only advanced the resolution out of committee. This week, senators will decide whether to actually pass it. All Democrats supported moving the resolution forward, along with five Republicans: Paul, Hawley, Todd Young, Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins.
The prior vote was a rare check on Trump from within his own party. But the president is eager to ensure it doesn’t stick: He said on Truth Social that the five Republicans “should never be elected to office again” and called some of them out by name during a speech in Detroit on Wednesday. All five Republican senators said they’ve received calls from the administration about their vote.
The resolution is expected to come for a final vote as soon as Wednesday. In order to pass, it would likely need support from at least four of the five Republicans who previously voted to advance the measure, in addition to all Democrats. Sen. Steve Daines, a member of GOP leadership who missed last week’s vote on whether to proceed with the measure, is likely a no.
Like Hawley, Young was coy on Tuesday about how he would vote.
“I’m certainly glad the president and his team gave me a call, but I found it important to vote for the resolution, at least procedurally,” Young said.
He declined to say whether or not he supports the final passage of the resolution, but he said he was thinking about whether or not to add any amendments.
“I’m not speaking to final passage,” Young said.
The other three Republican senators were more confident.
Collins said her vote is still a “yes” on the war powers resolution despite Trump’s “profanity-laced” phone call with her right after the vote last Thursday.
She said Republicans had a “robust” and “intellectual” discussion Tuesday about war powers, but did not provide any further details.
Murkowski said the president called her “immediately after” the Thursday vote.
When asked whether the call changed her perspective on war powers, she said, “No, he really didn’t speak about the merits of the issue.”
Paul told CNN Tuesday that Trump called him three times last week but did not share any details. “They were private conversations,” he said.
Even if the resolution passes the Senate, it still faces an uncertain future in the House. The White House has already promised to veto the resolution if it reaches the president’s desk.
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