House takes up latest war powers resolution to block Trump from putting troops in Venezuela
Washington — The House will pass another war powers resolution on Thursday in response to President Trump’s recent military operation in Venezuela, as Democrats continue to press the issue and aim to block further military action in the South American country.
The vote comes a week after the White House removed GOP support for a similar measure in the Senate that narrowly failed. Two Republican senators who flipped their votes to help defeat the resolution said Secretary of State Marco Rubio gave them assurances that the president would seek congressional authorization if the administration considered sending U.S. troops to Venezuela.
The House resolution, introduced by Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, “directs the President to withdraw U.S. armed forces from Venezuela unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization for the use of military force.”
Two previous attempts Limiting Mr. Trump’s authority to strike Venezuela and boats suspected of drug trafficking in the region failed in December, ahead of this month’s U.S. operation to capture former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The first measure last month — which more broadly aimed to remove U.S. armed forces from “hostilities with any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere” — received the support of two Republicans, while two Democrats voted against. The second resolution dealt with “hostilities within or against Venezuela.” Three Republicans voted for it and one Democrat opposed it.
McGovern’s resolution could achieve a similar result. It has the support of Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, and Republican Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska has also indicated he will support it. Both supported the two previous, unsuccessful attempts.
Bacon pointed to a fake image shared by Mr. Trump earlier this week, in which the president, vice president and secretary of state planted an American flag on Greenland. The image included a sign claiming that Greenland would be a US territory starting in 2026.
“When you ask me why I voted the way I did on the War Powers Resolution later this week…here is a reason,” Bacon wrote.
When Senate efforts to curb future military action in Venezuela gained short-lived momentum, Massie said he hoped more Republicans in the House would change their position. Days earlier, the United States captured Maduro in an operation that surprised Congress. Mr. Trump then claimed that the United States was running the country, worrying some Republicans who had previously defended the president’s authority to carry out strikes against dozens of boats suspected of trafficking illegal drugs.
Republican Party criticism of the strikes has mostly subsided as attention has shifted to Mr. Trump’s crusade to acquire Greenland.
Democrats have indicated they plan to continue forcing votes on the issue, especially after Mr. Trump and members of his administration threatened military intervention against other countries, including Greenland, Iran, Colombia, Mexico and Cuba.
“We will relentlessly press this issue and to our colleagues,” Rep. Maggie Goodlander, Democrat of New Hampshire, said Thursday.
