The vote underscores Speaker Mike Johnson’s tenuous hold on the House Republican majority and signals cracks in party unity on military intervention. It also marks the latest test of how far Congressional Republicans will go in constraining Trump’s military authority, a question that will likely resurface as the president continues pursuing aggressive policies throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The House rejected a Democratic-backed resolution Thursday that would have prevented President Donald Trump from sending military forces to Venezuela, with the vote ending in a tie. Republican leaders held the vote open for more than 20 minutes while Rep. Wesley Hunt rushed back from a Texas campaign trip to provide the decisive vote.
Two Republicans—Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska and Thomas Massie of Kentucky—broke with their party to vote with all Democrats for the resolution, signaling fractures in Republican unity on military intervention.
“I’m tired of all the threats,” Bacon said, expressing frustration with Trump’s aggressive foreign policy.
The narrow outcome underscores Speaker Mike Johnson’s tenuous hold on the House Republican majority. The vote also represents the latest test of how far Congressional Republicans will go in constraining Trump’s military authority as the president pursues increasingly assertive policies throughout the Western Hemisphere.
The Senate debate and Trump administration response
A week earlier, Senate Republicans narrowly defeated a comparable war powers resolution after the Trump administration persuaded two GOP senators to reverse their earlier support. Vice President JD Vance cast the deciding vote, breaking a 50-50 tie.
The Trump administration told senators that there are no U.S. troops on the ground in Venezuela and committed to seeking Congressional approval before launching major military operations in the country. Secretary of State Marco Rubio committed to briefing the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Venezuela policy.
Democrats argued that a war powers resolution is necessary following the U.S. raid to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, and because Trump has stated plans to control Venezuela’s oil industry.
Rep. Brian Mast, the Republican chair of the House Armed Services Committee, defended the Trump administration’s actions. “It’s about the fact that you don’t want President Trump to arrest Maduro, and you will condemn him no matter what he does, even though he brought Maduro to justice with possibly the most successful law enforcement operation in history,” Mast said.
Democrats countered that Congress must assert its constitutional role in determining when presidents can deploy military forces. “Donald Trump is reducing the United States to a regional bully with fewer allies and more enemies,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “This isn’t making America great again. It’s making us isolated and weak.”
Questions about oil licensing beneficiaries
As the Trump administration oversees the sale of Venezuelan oil licenses to international buyers, Senate Democrats are questioning who is benefiting from the transactions.
Vitol, the world’s largest independent oil broker, received one of the first licenses, worth roughly $250 million. John Addison, a senior partner at Vitol, gave approximately $6 million to Trump-aligned political action committees during the presidential election, according to donation records compiled by OpenSecrets.
Thirteen Senate Democrats, led by California’s Adam Schiff, wrote to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles on Thursday demanding transparency. “Congress and the American people deserve full transparency regarding any financial commitments, promises, deals, or other arrangements related to Venezuela that could favor donors to the President’s campaign and political operation,” they wrote.
The White House said it is safeguarding Venezuelan oil assets for the benefit of both Venezuela’s population and the United States.
Historical context on war powers
The War Powers Resolution was passed in the Vietnam War era as the U.S. sent troops to conflicts throughout Asia. It requires presidents to work with Congress when deploying troops without a formal declaration of war. Presidents have long tested the limits of the statute, and Democrats argue Trump in his second term has pushed those boundaries farther than any predecessor.