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3h ago

House Republicans Tie War Powers Vote, Preserving Trump’s Venezuela Authority

The deadlock keeps the status quo following administration pledges to seek authorization for any major troop deployments.

The U.S. Capitol building is pictured at sunset on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., November 22, 2019. REUTERS/Loren Elliott
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol Monday, Jan. 5, 2026, in Washington, after a closed-door briefing about President Donald Trump directing U.S. forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
US President Donald Trump speaks to the press following US military actions in Venezuela, at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on January 3, 2026. President Trump said Saturday that US forces had captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro after launching a "large scale strike" on the South American country. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The House voted 215–215 to defeat H.Con.Res. 68, which would have directed removal of U.S. forces from Venezuela unless Congress explicitly authorized force.
  • Republican leaders held the vote open until Rep. Wesley Hunt returned to cast the decisive vote, locking in the tie that killed the measure.
  • All Democrats supported the resolution while only Republicans Thomas Massie and Don Bacon joined them, underscoring GOP unity behind the president.
  • A similar Senate push failed last week after two Republicans flipped, citing Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s assurances that no U.S. troops are in Venezuela and that major operations would seek approval.
  • Oversight efforts continue, with Rubio set to brief the Senate and Democrats questioning who benefits from U.S.-managed Venezuelan oil contracts, including a reported $250 million license for Vitol.