The White House sharply rebuked the legislation when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday. (Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Speaker Johnson held the vote for over 20 minutes, buying Republicans to vote against the resolution. Eventually one Republican latecomer, Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Tx., arrived at the chamber, breaking the stalemate and dooming the measure.
"Close the vote!" Rep. Pat Ryan, D-N.Y., yelled as Republicans struggled to solidify their opposition. "This is serious s---!"
The bill was sponsored by Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky.
The resolution directs Trump to remove troops deployed to Venezuela and mirrors a similar effort in the Senate aimed at restricting the administration from taking future military action in the country.
Administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, say there are currently no U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, although Trump has ordered a naval blockade off the country’s coast.
The White House sharply rebuked the legislation when asked by Fox News Digital on Thursday.
"It’s a shame that these members of Congress want to usurp the authority of the commander in chief to take vital actions to strengthen our national security and stop drugs and criminals from entering our homeland," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.
Ahead of Thursday’s vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said he expected Republicans would stick together to defeat the resolution.
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"I don’t think we will have any breaks on that," Johnson told Fox News Digital that morning.
"We are the last great superpower, and we have to allow the president the authority to use what is his under the Constitution," Johnson said, referring to Trump’s role as commander in chief of the U.S. armed forces. "I don’t think we need to get in the way of that."
Nicolás Maduro is seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026, in New York City. (XNY/Star Max/GC Images via Getty Images)
Sens. Todd Young, R-Ind., and Josh Hawley, R-Mo., flipped their votes to kill the resolution after assurances and guarantees from administration officials, most notably Rubio, that there were no boots on the ground in the country.
Still, Rubio is set to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee next week to lay out the administration’s plan in the region. His appearance also comes amid uncertainty about Trump’s plans with Greenland.
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Rubio already teased that plan after one of several classified briefings with lawmakers on Capitol Hill. For now, the administration is considering a three-pronged plan in the region focused on stabilization, recovery and transition.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
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https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republicans-narrowly-reject-efforts-handcuff-trumps-war-powers-venezuela