Topline
The House voted Thursday against a measure that sought to stop President Donald Trump from taking further military action in Venezuela without congressional approval, shooting down the latest attempt at reining in the president’s use of military power after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an armed operation this month.
The vote was made Thursday afternoon.
Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Key Facts
The measure failed to pass the House in a 215-215 vote, with two Republicans crossing the aisle to support it.
Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Don Bacon, R- Neb., voted alongside Democrats for the tie, which is not enough for passage in the House.
The Senate rejected the war powers resolution last week in a tie vote broken by Vice President JD Vance.
If it had become a law, the president would have had to receive congressional approval for further operations in Venezuela, though Republicans on Thursday argued the U.S. was not at war with Venezuela and noted there were no U.S. troops in the country.
Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y., noted the U.S. has maintained its military presence, namely aircraft carriers and destroyers, in the Caribbean.
Chief Critic
“The executive’s military exercise to capture the leader of Venezuela represents one of the most blatant usurpations of congressional authority we have seen in modern times,” Massie told the House on Thursday. “If we ignore it, we are not merely acquiescing to executive overreach, we are rendering impotent our branch of government.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.