Sponsors (127)
The bill increases congressional control and reduces U.S. military involvement in Venezuela—lowering risk to service members and potential costs—while constraining executive flexibility to respond quickly, risking near-term disruption for forces and reduced deterrence or leverage.
Military personnel: Forces would be withdrawn from Venezuela unless Congress authorizes continued action, reducing the likelihood of combat deployments and casualties for service members.
Congress and federal institutions: Requires congressional authorization before continued hostilities in Venezuela, reinforcing congressional war powers and strengthening separation-of-powers checks on the executive.
Taxpayers: Reduces the likelihood of open-ended military operations related to Venezuela, potentially limiting long-term defense spending and fiscal exposure.
Military personnel and the public: Restricts the President's ability to rapidly use military force in Venezuela without prior congressional approval, which could delay responses to imminent threats or crises.
Military personnel: A mandated withdrawal or redeployment could force near-term mission terminations or logistics changes, causing uncertainty, relocation costs, and disruption to service members and planning.
Taxpayers and policymakers: Removing a proximate military option until Congress acts could reduce U.S. leverage in Venezuela-related crises and complicate deterrence or diplomatic negotiations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires the President under the War Powers Resolution to withdraw U.S. armed forces from Venezuela unless Congress declares war or passes a specific authorization for force.
Directs the President, under the War Powers Resolution, to remove U.S. armed forces from Venezuela unless Congress has declared war or passed a specific statutory authorization for use of military force. The instruction invokes the War Powers Resolution’s withdrawal mechanism to compel removal of forces engaged in hostilities in or against Venezuela, subject only to the act’s usual exceptions.
Introduced January 7, 2026 by James P. McGovern · Last progress January 22, 2026