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The House failed to pass H.Con.Res. 68, a resolution that would have directed the President to remove unauthorized U.S. military forces from Venezuela. The vote ended in a tie, failing to meet the required majority.
This vote was on H.Con.Res. 68, a concurrent resolution aimed at asserting congressional authority over military deployments. The resolution would have directed the President to withdraw any U.S. Armed Forces from Venezuela unless Congress had specifically authorized their presence through a declaration of war or a specific law. This directive was based on the War Powers Resolution, a law designed to ensure that the President and Congress share the decision-making power for involving U.S. forces in hostilities. In the House, a resolution like this requires a simple majority to pass, meaning there must be more "yes" votes than "no" votes. Because the final count was an exact tie of 215 to 215, the measure did not meet the threshold and failed. A concurrent resolution expresses the position of Congress but does not go to the President to be signed into law. As a result of the failure, the House will not send this directive to the Senate, and no formal demand for troop withdrawal will be issued through this measure. The vote was almost entirely split along party lines, with Democrats supporting the withdrawal and Republicans opposing it. This outcome maintains the status quo, allowing the executive branch to continue its current military posture in the region without this specific legislative restriction.
The measure is defeated and will not proceed to the Senate. No legislative action will be taken based on this specific resolution.
OPEN BILL →Why it matters. This vote was a high-stakes test of the War Powers Resolution, highlighting a deep partisan divide over whether the President or Congress should control military deployments in South America.
Who’s affected. U.S. Military Personnel: Forces stationed in or near Venezuela will remain in their current positions as the mandate for withdrawal failed. · The Presidency: The executive branch retains its current level of discretion over military actions in Venezuela without new congressional intervention.
Democrats. Democrats voted unanimously 'yes' to support the removal of troops.
Republicans. Republicans almost entirely opposed the measure, with only two members defecting to vote 'yes'.
On Agreeing to the Resolution
Jan 22, 2026
The House failed to pass H.Con.Res.
68, a resolution that would have directed the President to remove unauthorized U.S. military forces from Venezuela. The vote ended in a tie, failing to meet the required majority.
This was a vote to adopt a concurrent resolution. In the House, this requires more 'yes' votes than 'no' votes to pass. A concurrent resolution is a formal statement from Congress that does not require the President's signature and does not have the force of law, but can be used to issue directions under certain statutes like the War Powers Resolution.
The measure is defeated and will not proceed to the Senate. No legislative action will be taken based on this specific resolution.
This vote was a high-stakes test of the War Powers Resolution, highlighting a deep partisan divide over whether the President or Congress should control military deployments in South America.
The vote was a near-perfect party-line split, resulting in a rare tie that defeated the resolution.
Democrats voted unanimously 'yes' to support the removal of troops.
Republicans almost entirely opposed the measure, with only two members defecting to vote 'yes'.
The lone independent member voted 'no' with the Republican caucus.