WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s pressure campaign to unify his party behind his takeover of Venezuela succeeded Wednesday when all but three Senate Republicans voted to block a resolution opposing further military action in the country.

Vice President JD Vance broke a tie vote in order to stop the resolution.

The vote followed fiery phone calls from Trump to GOP defectors who last week voted to advance the resolution. Trump’s success in flipping votes effectively ends one of the most high-profile bids to check his executive power since he returned to office a year ago.

The legislation was not expected to become law, as Trump had said he’d veto it. But the decision of two GOP senators to switch their positions in just days shows the political peril for Republicans in maintaining opposition to Trump’s military ambitions.

Senate Republicans blocked the measure on procedural grounds, contending that the war powers resolution should be sidelined because the United States is not engaged in ongoing hostilities.

Democrats forced the war powers vote last week after U.S. troops captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a nighttime raid earlier this month. Senators in both parties complained about a lack of consultation with Congress before Trump ordered the military operation.

After a vote to advance the resolution passed, Trump struck back, saying Republicans should be “ashamed” of the GOP senators who broke rank, who he said “should never be elected again.”

The five senators included moderates Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski and Todd Young, as well as Rand Paul and Josh Hawley, who are more isolationist than most members of the party. Young and Hawley switched positions and voted to block the resolution in the vote Wednesday.

At least three, Hawley, Murkowski and Collins, have been at the receiving end of very terse calls with Trump since. “It wasn’t much of a conversation,” Murkowski said earlier this week of her call with Trump.

Hawley said he had a conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week, and a call from Trump last week. He said he’d received assurances from Rubio that the U.S. wasn’t planning to send ground troops into Venezuela.

Young said he was satisfied by a letter from Rubio that says Trump would seek authorization from Congress for any “major” military action in Venezuela if circumstances permit.

Collins, who was a decisive vote to push through Trump’s massive tax and spending bill last year, faces a tough reelection in Maine this November.

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(With assistance from Erik Wasson.)

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