Reporter's Notebook: Republicans seek exit from Venezuela war powers debate after recently voting for it

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Five Republicans join Democrats on war powers vote

Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram has the latest on the debate over the Trump administration's foreign policy moves on 'Special Report.'

President Donald Trump's Senate allies could try to kill the war powers resolution before the Senate wades into the debate, Fox News has learned.

Fox News is told there is an effort to kill the bipartisan effort to debate the resolution blocking military action in Venezuela.

A bipartisan coalition of senators voted to launch this debate next week.

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Sunrise light hits the U.S. Capitol dome on Jan. 2, 2025. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

However, Fox is told that some Republicans are looking for an exit ramp – even though they voted yes last week to begin the debate.

It’s possible that some Republicans may try to force a vote to table or kill the war powers resolution – because it’s not applicable. The argument is that the U.S. has no troops in Venezuela. Therefore, this resolution is out of bounds.

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Vice President JD Vance during a news conference at the White House on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

It is also possible that Vice President JD Vance could be brought in to break a tie, Fox News was told. Keep in mind that a tie means the resolution fails. But if the Trump administration wants the prospective motion to table to pass – and kill the bill – Vance could be brought in to break a tie and pass the motion to kill it.

Fox is told that the Senate has successfully "discharged" the war powers resolution onto the floor. But there is still a vote to actually get into the resolution.

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President Donald Trump speaks to the press following U.S. military action in Venezuela, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, Jan. 3, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

It is only at that point that the Senate could vote to table the resolution.

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Otherwise, the Senate must burn all 10 hours on the resolution and then vote to table. Or, vote to table after all the time is yielded back.