Republican Senators, with an assist from Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., voted down an attempt block the Trump administration’s missile strikes on alleged Venezuelan drug boats on Wednesday, hours after a nominee to serve as the CIA’s top lawyer dodged questions from Democrats about the secret legal justification for the strikes at his confirmation hearing.

The Senate voted 51-48 against a War Powers Act resolution sponsored by Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Tim Kaine, D-Va. — the first time members of Congress went on the record about the strikes.

If passed, the resolution would have blocked Donald Trump’s administration from conducting further strikes without congressional approval.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska were the only Republicans to vote in favor of the resolution. Fetterman was the sole Democrat to break with the rest of his caucus, mirroring his vote earlier this year for a similar resolution in response to the Trump administration’s strike on Iran. (Fetterman’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.) Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, did not vote.

“There is also the policy issue of the risk of the U.S. getting embroiled in another war.”

The vote came days after the fourth confirmed boat strike conducted by the U.S. military. Those strikes, which the administration claims hit boats carrying drugs,........

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