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The House narrowly failed to pass a resolution that would have directed the President to withdraw U.S. military forces from any unauthorized hostilities in or against Venezuela.
This resolution, H.Con.Res. 64, sought to use the War Powers Resolution to force the withdrawal of U.S. troops from any combat or military actions in or against Venezuela that Congress had not specifically authorized. The measure was introduced as a way for Congress to assert its constitutional authority over when the nation enters a military conflict. This was a vote to adopt a "concurrent resolution." In the House, this requires a simple majority to pass. Because it is a concurrent resolution, it does not become a law and does not go to the President for a signature; instead, it reflects the formal position of the House and would have moved to the Senate for consideration if it had passed. The resolution failed by a narrow margin of just two votes, primarily along party lines. While nearly all Democrats supported the measure, Republicans and the chamber's sole independent member voted against it. Because it failed, the House will not send this directive to the Senate, and the status of U.S. military involvement remains unchanged by this specific effort.
Because the resolution failed to pass the House, it is considered dead and will not be sent to the Senate for further consideration.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. This vote highlights the fundamental constitutional debate over who has the power to commit the United States to armed conflict: the President or Congress.
Who’s affected. U.S. Military Personnel: The failure of this resolution means that service members currently deployed or engaged in the region will not be ordered to withdraw by the House. · The President: The rejection of this measure preserves the executive branch's current level of control over military actions in the Venezuela theater.
Democrats. Almost all Democrats supported the resolution as a means to assert congressional war powers and limit military engagement.
Republicans. Republicans overwhelmingly opposed the resolution, voting to maintain current military posture or preserve executive branch flexibility.
On Agreeing to the Resolution
Dec 17, 2025
The House narrowly failed to pass a resolution that would have directed the President to withdraw U.S.
military forces from any unauthorized hostilities in or against Venezuela.
This was a final vote on whether the House should adopt a formal directive regarding the deployment of U.S. troops. Under the War Powers Resolution, this mechanism allows Congress to vote on whether to order the President to withdraw forces from a conflict.
Because the resolution failed to pass the House, it is considered dead and will not be sent to the Senate for further consideration.
This vote highlights the fundamental constitutional debate over who has the power to commit the United States to armed conflict: the President or Congress.
The vote was a strict party-line split, with Democrats voting in favor and Republicans voting against the measure.
Almost all Democrats supported the resolution as a means to assert congressional war powers and limit military engagement.
Republicans overwhelmingly opposed the resolution, voting to maintain current military posture or preserve executive branch flexibility.
The single independent member joined the Republicans in voting against the resolution.