House Rejects Resolution Limiting Trump's Military Power in Venezuela

The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a Democratic-backed resolution on Thursday, January 22, 2026, that would have prohibited Donald Trump from sending military forces to Venezuela and mandated the removal of existing troops without congressional approval. The measure failed in a 215-215 tie vote after Republican leaders held the vote open for over 20 minutes to ensure the return of Representative Wesley Hunt to Washington. This follows a similar deadlock in the Senate the previous week, where Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to block a similar measure.

The legislative battle centers on "Operation Absolute Resolve," a January 3 military invasion and raid in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The Trump administration characterized the mission as a law enforcement operation to bring Maduro to New York City to face narco-terrorism and conspiracy charges. However, critics in Congress described the action as an unauthorized and unlawful military strike conducted without prior notification to the legislature.

Representative Brian Mast, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the operation as a successful judicial action and argued that no U.S. forces are currently fighting on the ground. Conversely, Democratic Representative Jim McGovern and Republican Representative Thomas Massie argued that Congress must assert its constitutional war powers to prevent executive overreach and avoid future conflicts. Concurrent with the vote, Senate Democrats demanded transparency regarding oil licenses granted to companies like Vitol, alleging potential favors for campaign donors.