A significant group of House Republicans came together on Thursday to dismiss a bipartisan resolution aimed at limiting President Donald Trump’s military powers in Venezuela.
The bill was narrowly defeated with a vote of 215-215, failing to achieve the necessary majority. Only two Republican representatives, Thomas Massie from Kentucky and Don Bacon from Nebraska, supported it.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) viewed this outcome as a triumph for both himself and the White House. The vote was especially tense, with Johnson holding off for over 20 minutes before a late-arriving Republican, Wesley Hunt from Texas, finally tipped the scales against the bill.
As the vote progressed, Representative Pat Ryan from New York called for order, saying, “Votes are closed!” as Republican members scrambled to maintain their opposition. The resolution, introduced by Representatives Jim McGovern (D-Mass.) and Massie, would have required President Trump to withdraw troops stationed in Venezuela. This mirrors similar initiatives in the Senate intended to curb executive military actions in the region.
Administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, indicated that while President Trump has ordered a naval blockade off Venezuela’s coast, no U.S. troops are currently deployed there.
In response to questions from the press, the White House criticized the resolution, suggesting it undermines the authority of the commander-in-chief to act in the nation’s best interest regarding security and drug trafficking. White House Press Secretary Anna Kelly expressed disappointment over the bill’s proposal.
Before the vote, Speaker Johnson shared his expectation that Republicans would stand united against the resolution, stating, “I don’t think there’s going to be a break on this.” He emphasized the importance of allowing the president to wield the constitutional powers designated to him as commander-in-chief.
This resolution, put forth after President Trump ordered the detention of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, has sparked fears among Democrats like McGovern, who have raised alarms about potential military escalation in Venezuela.
The House version of the resolution required troop removal, yet officials conveyed they could not proceed into the country after the unexpected detention of Maduro. The likelihood of the McGovern-Massie resolution passing in the Senate appears limited, especially considering a prior failure of a similar Senate attempt by Senator Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) to gain Congressional approval for military actions in Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) changed their initial votes against the resolution after receiving reassurances that there would be no unauthorized military presence in the country.
Rubio is set to address the Senate Foreign Relations Committee soon, where he will discuss the administration’s strategies concerning the region, as there remains ambiguity regarding President Trump’s future plans.
