The Senate is expected to vote Wednesday on a war powers resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump's ability to carry out further military action against Venezuela.
The measure advanced in a procedural vote last week as five Republican senators joined Democrats, after U.S. troops captured former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid.
Since that vote, the White House has lobbied senators to defeat the resolution.
CNBC reported that Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., one of the Republicans who voted to advance the measure, has suggested he could change his position after talks with the administration.
"The interaction has been really positive," Hawley said in an interview with reporters. He said Trump told him last week by phone that the legislation "really ties my hands."
Hawley said he later spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and described that follow-up call as "really positive." He said Rubio told him Monday, "Point blank, we're not going to do ground troops."
"I'm in listening-and-receive mode at this time," Hawley said, adding, "I don't know how we're going to proceed next on the floor."
Trump has demanded the Senate defeat the measure and criticized the five Republicans who helped advance it.
"Here we have one of the most successful attacks ever, and they find a way to be against it. It's pretty amazing. And it's a shame," Trump said in a speech Tuesday in Michigan.
Trump has snubbed several of the Republicans, calling Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky a "stone cold loser" and Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine "disasters."
Collins said Wednesday she would still support the resolution, after voting against similar measures in previous months.
Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., declined repeatedly to discuss his position and said he was "giving it some thought."
Meanwhile, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who has brought a series of war powers resolutions this year, said he was not surprised by Trump's reaction.
"They're furious at the notion that Congress wants to be Congress," Kaine said.
Senate Republican leaders criticized the resolution and signaled they want to move on to other business.
"We have no troops on the ground in Venezuela. We're not currently conducting military operations there," Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.C., posted. "But Democrats are taking up this bill because their anti-Trump hysteria knows no bounds."
Republican leaders could seek to dismiss the measure as irrelevant to the current situation, but that step would still require a vote.
Should the resolution pass the Senate, it will face long odds of becoming law because it would need to clear the Republican-controlled House and survive a Trump veto.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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