On Thursday, Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives, narrowly defeated a Democratic-backed resolution that would have “direct[ed] the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from Venezuela unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted,” blocking the latest effort to limit President Donald Trump’s ability to take further military action without congressional approval.
House Republican leaders kept the vote open for more than 20 minutes to allow Representative Wesley Hunt (R-TX) to return to the Capitol and cast the deciding vote against the measure. Democrats protested on the House floor, accusing leadership of procedural abuse. Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Thomas Massie (R-KY) joined House Democrats to vote for the legislation.
The measure, which failed on a 215–215 tie vote, was the second attempt this month by congress to reassert its Constitutionally prescribed authority to declare war. It follows a failed War Power Resolution vote in the Senate last week, where Vice President J.D. Vance broke a tie, rejecting the legislation.
A nearly identical bill ordering Trump to withdraw U.S. armed forces “within or against Venezuela” also failed in the House in December, prior to the US removal of Maduro and bombing of Venezuela on January 3. In that vote, Republicans Bacon, Massie, and former-Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) supported the resolution, while Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) was the lone Democrat to oppose it.
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