Republicans barely block bid to rein in Trump's Venezuela military action

The latest in a series of congressional efforts to rein in President Donald Trump’s military aggression against Venezuela failed Thursday as Republican lawmakers again defeated a war powers resolution by the tightest possible margin.

House lawmakers voted 215-215 on H.Con.Res.68—introduced last month by Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.)—which “directs the president to remove US armed forces from Venezuela unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted.”

Unlike in the Senate, where the vice president casts tie-breaking votes, a deadlock in the House means the legislation does not pass.

Every House Democrat and two Republicans—Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Thomas Massie of Kentucky—voted in favor of the measure. Every other Republican voted against it. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) did not vote.

The House vote came a week after Vice President JD Vance’s tie-breaking vote was needed to overcome a 50-50 deadlock on a similar resolution introduced last month by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY).

The War Powers Resolution of 1973—also known as the War Powers Act—was enacted during the Nixon administration toward the end of the US war on Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The law empowers Congress to check the president’s war-making authority by requiring the president to report any military action to Congress within 48 hours. It also mandates that lawmakers approve any troop deployments lasting longer than 60 days.

Thursday’s vote followed this month’s US bombing and invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife on dubious “narco-terrorism” and drug trafficking allegations. Trump has also imposed an oil blockade on the South American nation, seizing seven tankers. Since September, the US has also been bombing boats accused of transporting drugs in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean.

“If the president is contemplating further military action, then he has a moral and constitutional obligation to come here and get our approval,” McGovern said following the vote.

House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY) lamented the resolution’s failure, saying, “The American people want us to lower their cost of living, not enable war.”

Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) said on Bluesky: “Only Congress has the authority to declare war. Today, I voted for a war powers resolution to ensure Trump cannot send OUR armed forces to Venezuela without explicit authorization from Congress.”

Cavan Kharrazian, senior policy adviser at the advocacy group Demand Progress, also decried the resolution’s failure.

“We are deeply disappointed that the House did not pass this war powers resolution, though it’s notable that it failed only due to a tie,” he said.

“As with the recent Senate vote, the administration expended extraordinary energy pressuring Republicans to block this resolution,” Kharrazian added. “That effort speaks for itself: With the American people tired of endless war, the administration knows that a Congress willing to enforce the law can meaningfully curtail illegal and escalatory military action. We urge members of Congress to continue fully exercising their constitutional authority over matters of war.”