By Morgan Rimmer, Sarah Ferris, Ted Barrett, CNN
(CNN) — A small bloc of Senate Republicans has delivered a notable rebuke of President Donald Trump just days after his operation ousting Venezuela’s leader, voting to advance a resolution that would limit future US military force in the nation without Congress’ approval.
Five Republicans on Thursday voted with all Senate Democrats to allow a future vote that would limit the president’s powers in the deepening conflict with Venezuela — a move that surprised even some Democrats who had not been certain how the GOP votes would fall.
The full measure is expected to pass next week, which would require 51 votes in the Senate. The measure, though, will still need to withstand a full amendment process and support for the final resolution is not guaranteed.
The vote in the Senate had been considered mostly a messaging exercise by Democrats and Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul, a co-sponsor of the measure, to force their GOP counterparts to register their discontent over – or support of – an increasingly emboldened White House. But now that it has won over enough Republican votes, it becomes a much more real threat to the reach of Trump’s power.
Sens. Todd Young of Indiana and Josh Hawley of Missouri were the surprise GOP defections to join with Paul, a critic of Trump’s overseas military actions, and GOP moderate Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman also surprised his colleagues by voting with his party, despite his public suggestions he may oppose it. After his vote, Fetterman refused to answer questions about why he voted in favor.
The House will take a similar vote on a measure limiting Trump’s authorities to intervene militarily in Venezuela later this month, thanks to a push by House Democrats. If that passes, the two chambers would need to unify their two resolutions — ultimately sending something to Trump’s desk for his consideration.
It has been a closely watched vote in both GOP leadership suites and the White House in a week where members of Congress have pressed the administration for answers about its next steps in the widening conflict with Venezuela. It’s the second bipartisan resolution to come up in the Senate since November to check the president’s powers.
Top Democrats, along with Paul, had been privately pushing Republicans to support the move, amid growing frustration behind the scenes about the president’s moves. While Republicans like Speaker Mike Johnson have been clear they believe Trump was within his powers to execute the operation in Venezuela without approval from Congress, not all Republicans agree.
The question of the boundaries of the president’s authority – and Congress’ role in authorizing military action abroad – has roiled Capitol Hill in recent months as the Trump administration has escalated its military campaign in South America. The operation leading to the ouster and capture of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro triggered a series of classified briefings in Washington this week that left a partisan split in their wake.
And there have been further questions, including among Republicans, about where Trump might deploy US military forces next, including Cuba, Colombia or Greenland.
Speaking with reporters on Wednesday afternoon, ahead of the vote, Paul emphasized that this resolution is not a referendum on whether or not Maduro was a “bad guy,” but about asserting Congress’ right to declare war.
“The debate really isn’t about good or evil, bad or good. There’s a lot of evil in the world. The question is about who has the power to take the country to war,” he said, later adding, “The Constitution was very clear, and it divides war into two aspects. One is the declaration or initiation of war, that power was