Senate GOP leaders are working overtime to quash a resolution requiring President Donald Trump to come to Congress before taking additional military action in Venezuela. They don’t yet know if they have the votes.
Majority Leader John Thune said Wednesday they are in conversations with rank-and-file GOP members, five of whom voted with Democrats to advance the measure last week. The administration has offered “assurances,” he said, including by stating there are no U.S. troops currently in Venezuela and no plan to send them in.
“These are consequential, big decisions and people want to feel like they’re honoring their obligations to the people that they represent and their own views on some of these issues,” Thune said..
Senate Republicans are discussing a procedural off-ramp by turning off the “privilege” of the resolution. Under that strategy, senators would be asked to concur in a point of order that the resolution should not be subject to a simple-majority vote since there are no ongoing hostilities.
One of the five, Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, told reporters Wednesday that he would support that proposal if it is offered, pointing to Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s pledge to abide by notification procedures if the administration sends in troops.
Besides Hawley, GOP leaders would need to win one more of the four remaining Republicans who previously voted to advance the resolution.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Wednesday she is going to continue to support the war powers resolution.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said he would also vote against the point of order. “I don’t think they have the votes right now,” he said about leadership’s legislative gambit.
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