--- title: War Powers: Senate Approves Act Blocking Trump in Venezuela description: The War Powers Resolution passed 52 to 47, with Democrats joined by five Republicans, including Susan Collins and Rand Paul. canonical: https://time.com/7344716/war-powers-act-senate-trump-venezuela/ author: Nik Popli article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2026-01-08T17:13:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-11T00:45:12.217Z article:section: Politics og:title: Senate Backs War Powers Measure Intended to Block Trump in Venezuela og:description: The War Powers Resolution passed 52 to 47, with Democrats joined by five Republicans, including Susan Collins and Rand Paul. og:url: https://time.com/7344716/war-powers-act-senate-trump-venezuela/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7dfbdfdabe0761cc/6998ccb0a97fc04ac7a74fb5/GettyImages-2254522795.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Senate Sets War Powers Vote On Ending Venezuela Intervention og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Senate Backs War Powers Measure Intended to Block Trump in Venezuela twitter:description: The War Powers Resolution passed 52 to 47, with Democrats joined by five Republicans, including Susan Collins and Rand Paul. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7dfbdfdabe0761cc/6998ccb0a97fc04ac7a74fb5/GettyImages-2254522795.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Senate Backs War Powers Measure Intended to Block Trump in Venezuela > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: September 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=729726ab-b781-42ab-9aa9-8fa108cab260&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Weekdays | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Weekly | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Twice a week | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=729726ab-b781-42ab-9aa9-8fa108cab260&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=729726ab-b781-42ab-9aa9-8fa108cab260&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (health, weekdays), Worth Your Time (culture, weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=729726ab-b781-42ab-9aa9-8fa108cab260&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Jan 8, 2026 5:13 PM UTC  Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, left, and Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, who led the Senate in advancing a war powers resolution Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat, left, and Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, who led the Senate in advancing a war powers resolution Al Drago—Bloomberg via Getty Images  by [Nik Popli](https://time.com/author/nik-popli/)  ## Nik Popli Staff Writer Jan 8, 2026 5:13 PM UTC The Republican-led Senate on Thursday backed a resolution seeking to curb President Donald Trump’s ability to carry out further military action against Venezuela without congressional approval, delivering a largely symbolic rebuke from lawmakers of both parties just days after a dramatic U.S. raid that captured the country’s president. The War Powers Resolution advanced 52 to 47, with Democrats joined by five Republicans: Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri, Todd Young of Indiana, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, and Rand Paul of Kentucky. The resolution is set to soon move to the House, where Republicans hold a narrow majority and previously rejected a similar measure. Its prospects there remain uncertain, and even if it were to pass, Trump is expected to veto it. The resolution, brought forward under the War Powers Act and led by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, would require Trump to seek explicit authorization from Congress before carrying out additional military strikes or sustained operations against Venezuela. It does not retroactively block the raid that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, but it aims to prevent the Trump Administration from expanding what critics fear could become a prolonged campaign to reshape the Venezuelan government and control its oil resources. “The Constitution is clear—only Congress can declare war,” Paul, a sponsor of the resolution, [said](https://x.com/SenRandPaul/status/2008999337842352524) on the Senate floor. “Our founder's intent is not a close call open to equivocation.” **Read more:** [_What’s Happening With the U.S. and Venezuela, Explained_](https://time.com/7344628/us-venezuela-trump-maduro-oil-drugs-war-explainer-questions-answered/) Under the War Powers Resolution, passed in 1973 over President Richard Nixon’s veto, presidents must notify Congress within 48 hours of deploying U.S. forces and must end hostilities within 60 to 90 days without authorization. The vote came one day after all members of Congress received a [classified briefing](https://time.com/7344479/venezuela-oil-rubio-trump/) from top Trump Administration officials on the Venezuela operation, a session that left several lawmakers saying Congress had been kept in the dark as the United States crossed a consequential new threshold overseas. In a post on Truth Social, Trump called out the five Republicans who voted to strip his war powers—saying they “should never be elected to office again.” “This Vote greatly hampers American Self Defense and National Security, impeding the President’s Authority as Commander in Chief,” Trump added. “In any event, and despite their ‘stupidity,’ the War Powers Act is Unconstitutional, totally violating Article II of the Constitution, as all Presidents, and their Departments of Justice, have determined before me.” The Senate’s action followed months of failed attempts to rein in Trump’s war powers as his Administration steadily escalated pressure on Venezuela, including repeated strikes on vessels off its coast and sweeping seizures of [Venezuelan oil](https://time.com/7343783/oil-companies-response-trump-venezuela/) shipments. A similar resolution narrowly failed in November, falling short by a 51–49 margin after only two Republicans backed it. Thursday’s vote marked the third time lawmakers confronted the issue on the Senate floor since last year—and the first time the measure cleared the chamber. The turning point came after the surprise nighttime raid in Caracas over the weekend, when U.S. forces seized Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and transported the Venezuelan leader to the United States to face drug and weapons charges. Administration officials have characterized the operation as a law enforcement action, arguing that it falls within the President’s authority as commander in chief. But many lawmakers, including some Republicans, said that explanation strained credulity given the scale of the mission. Several senators said they felt misled by earlier briefings in which administration officials had suggested the United States did not intend to carry out strikes on Venezuelan territory or seek to change its government. Trump’s comments that his Administration would run Venezuela for the foreseeable future deepened concerns on Capitol Hill. **Read more:** [_A Colony? An Occupation? No One Knows What to Call Ve_](https://time.com/7344705/venezuela-trump-maduro-regime-change/)nezuela Senators who backed the resolution said they were particularly worried about the possibility that the Venezuela operation could serve as a precedent for future actions, including against Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark and a NATO ally. Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of asserting U.S. control over Greenland, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that military action is "always an option at the Commander in Chief’s disposal.” Thursday’s Senate vote was framed as an attempt to draw a clear constitutional line before such scenarios materialize. Senator Young, one of five Republicans who backed the resolution, said his vote was “about potential future military action, not completed successful operations.” “The President and members of his team have stated that the United States now ‘runs’ Venezuela,” he added. “It is unclear if that means that an American military presence will be required to stabilize the country. \[I am\] not prepared to commit American troops to that mission.” ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/7344716/war-powers-act-senate-trump-venezuela/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/7344716/war-powers-act-senate-trump-venezuela/"},"headline":"Senate Backs War Powers Measure Intended to Block Trump in Venezuela","datePublished":"2026-01-08T17:13:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-11T00:45:12.217Z","description":"It is a largely symbolic rebuke that Trump is expected to veto if it reaches his desk","url":"https://time.com/7344716/war-powers-act-senate-trump-venezuela/","keywords":["Congress"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7dfbdfdabe0761cc/6998ccb0a97fc04ac7a74fb5/GettyImages-2254522795.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Nik Popli","jobTitle":"Staff Writer","url":"https://time.com/author/nik-popli/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7dfbdfdabe0761cc/6998ccb0a97fc04ac7a74fb5/GettyImages-2254522795.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Senate Sets War Powers Vote On Ending Venezuela Intervention","caption":"Senate Sets War Powers Vote On Ending Venezuela Intervention","creditText":"Al Drago—Bloomberg via Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/tag/congress/","name":"Congress"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/7344716/war-powers-act-senate-trump-venezuela/","name":"Senate Backs War Powers Measure Intended to Block Trump in Venezuela"}}]}] ```