House Republicans and Democrats Unite in Bid to Block Trump's Venezuela War Plans
In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have introduced a war powers resolution aimed at blocking potential military strikes against Venezuela under President Donald Trump. Sponsored by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass), the ranking member of the powerful House Rules Committee, this legislation would prohibit the administration from launching "hostilities within or against Venezuela" without congressional approval.
The introduction of this resolution comes as tensions with Venezuela have escalated under Trump's leadership, and concerns about potential military action against the country have grown. The bill has garnered support from several prominent lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky), who announced his intention to co-sponsor it on Tuesday.
Cavan Kharrazian, a senior policy adviser at Demand Progress, hailed this development as "a clear signal to President Trump and to the war hawks around him that Congress is prepared to stand against any reckless march to war." The prospect of a public, on-the-record vote on whether to block new wars carries significant political weight, Kharrazian argued, and can help deter escalation.
The introduction of this resolution follows a similar measure in the US Senate, which fell short by a few votes last month due to opposition from Republican senators. A second war powers resolution has been proposed by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the lead sponsor of that earlier bill, who plans to reintroduce it in the coming days.
The narrower House legislation is seen as more palatable to Republicans, who are less supportive of conflict with Venezuela than in previous months. As Americans oppose taking military action in Venezuela by a 70-30 percent margin, according to a CBS News poll conducted November 19-21, this resolution offers an opportunity for lawmakers to express their opposition to further aggression.
The possibility that the Trump administration may have already taken action against Venezuela raises concerns about whether this legislation can still be effective. With a 15-day clock ticking, McGovern will attempt to force a House floor vote on his resolution, but it remains to be seen whether the measure can be passed in time to prevent military strikes.
Separately, another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), has introduced a resolution aimed at blocking further boat strikes against Venezuela. While Meeks' stance is not necessarily opposed to US involvement in Venezuelan affairs, his efforts aim to reassert Congress' constitutional prerogatives on matters of war and peace.
The introduction of these measures reflects a growing desire among lawmakers to rein in Trump's executive power and ensure that any military action taken by the administration is subject to congressional approval. As tensions with Venezuela continue to escalate, it remains to be seen whether this legislation can prevent further conflict or if Congress will ultimately approve the use of force.
In a rare display of bipartisan cooperation, lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have introduced a war powers resolution aimed at blocking potential military strikes against Venezuela under President Donald Trump. Sponsored by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass), the ranking member of the powerful House Rules Committee, this legislation would prohibit the administration from launching "hostilities within or against Venezuela" without congressional approval.
The introduction of this resolution comes as tensions with Venezuela have escalated under Trump's leadership, and concerns about potential military action against the country have grown. The bill has garnered support from several prominent lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, including Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky), who announced his intention to co-sponsor it on Tuesday.
Cavan Kharrazian, a senior policy adviser at Demand Progress, hailed this development as "a clear signal to President Trump and to the war hawks around him that Congress is prepared to stand against any reckless march to war." The prospect of a public, on-the-record vote on whether to block new wars carries significant political weight, Kharrazian argued, and can help deter escalation.
The introduction of this resolution follows a similar measure in the US Senate, which fell short by a few votes last month due to opposition from Republican senators. A second war powers resolution has been proposed by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), the lead sponsor of that earlier bill, who plans to reintroduce it in the coming days.
The narrower House legislation is seen as more palatable to Republicans, who are less supportive of conflict with Venezuela than in previous months. As Americans oppose taking military action in Venezuela by a 70-30 percent margin, according to a CBS News poll conducted November 19-21, this resolution offers an opportunity for lawmakers to express their opposition to further aggression.
The possibility that the Trump administration may have already taken action against Venezuela raises concerns about whether this legislation can still be effective. With a 15-day clock ticking, McGovern will attempt to force a House floor vote on his resolution, but it remains to be seen whether the measure can be passed in time to prevent military strikes.
Separately, another Democratic lawmaker, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), has introduced a resolution aimed at blocking further boat strikes against Venezuela. While Meeks' stance is not necessarily opposed to US involvement in Venezuelan affairs, his efforts aim to reassert Congress' constitutional prerogatives on matters of war and peace.
The introduction of these measures reflects a growing desire among lawmakers to rein in Trump's executive power and ensure that any military action taken by the administration is subject to congressional approval. As tensions with Venezuela continue to escalate, it remains to be seen whether this legislation can prevent further conflict or if Congress will ultimately approve the use of force.
The fact that Reps Jim McGovern and Thomas Massie are teaming up is HUGE 
This bipartisan cooperation is gonna make some serious waves in DC. It shows even the most polarized lawmakers can put aside their differences for the greater good. Fingers crossed it gets passed before Trump makes any major moves against Venezuela! 
so republicans and democrats are actually teaming up to block trump's plans for war against venezuela like what a beautiful thing 
i mean its not perfect but at least we're seeing some bipartisan action which is super rare. idk about the specifics of these resolutions but i do know that 70% of americans dont want another war in venezuela and it seems like our lawmakers are listening to us 
lets hope this momentum keeps building and trump's aggression gets checked 
. And have you noticed that Rep. McGovern's resolution only applies to "hostilities within or against Venezuela"? That sounds like a carefully crafted loophole to me. What if they're just buying time until they can launch a covert operation without anyone watching?
and what about the fact that republicans are only co-sponsoring this bill because it's "more palatable" to them? doesn't that say something about how willing they are to actually stand up for what's right, or is it just a strategic move to appease their base? 
but why would they do that? because trump wants to invade the country and people don't want it to happen 70-30 percent of americans don't want a war in venezuela so it's like lawmakers are listening to what ppl want right? 
and it's not just one bill either there's another one in the senate too. now I'm curious about why trump wanted to invade venezuela in the first place