House Rejects McGovern’s Bipartisan War Powers Resolution, Shamefully Surrendering More Power to the White House

WASHINGTON-Today, House Republicans (and sadly, one spineless Democrat) shamefully rejected Congressman McGovern's War Powers Resolution, which would have directed President Trump to cease all hostilities within or against Venezuela.

"I'm furious that cowardly lawmakers have once again surrendered Congress' Constitutional responsibility on matters of war to a wannabe dictator in the White House," said Ranking Member McGovern. "The Founders intentionally did not want any president to have unilateral power to start a war, much less one like Donald Trump, who campaigned on ending unnecessary foreign conflicts. He's now breaking that promise-and his weak, pathetic lackeys in Congress are letting him drag us into yet another endless war that no one except their billionaire buddies in Big Oil want."

McGovern's resolution was a forceful response to the president's recent threats to use military force against Venezuela-including airstrikes, American troops on the ground, and naval or air blockades. Under U.S. law, these actions are all considered hostilities.

"The Constitution is clear: only Congress can declare war," continued McGovern. "Congress must affirm its authority and say no to an illegal war in Venezuela, no to yet another foreign conflict over oil, and no to more endless wars-and President Trump must obey the law."

Notably, President Trump's illegal attempt at regime change in Venezuela coincides with an affordability crisis in America-a crisis which the president calls a "con job," and for which he has proposed no real plan or solution.

McGovern continued: "The American people have been clear: they don't want another Iraq, and they don't want to risk thousands of lives on another endless quagmire over oil. They want us to reform our rigged healthcare system, make housing more affordable, and lower costs. Rather than wasting trillions of dollars and thousands of lives on a war that the American people clearly oppose, Congress should spend its time and resources on fixing problems here at home. In a country with a trillionaire, it's shameful that thousands of Americans go hungry, struggle to afford groceries, and worry about whether they'll ever be able to buy a home. Those are the problems on which Congress ought to spend its time and resources."

As Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Congressman McGovern also made clear that his opposition to war with Venezuela in no way excuses President Nicholas Maduro's horrendous human rights abuses and crimes against humanity.

"Maduro is a thug and a tyrant, and I'm appalled by his government's countless human rights abuses. But America cannot afford to engage in another doomed-to-fail attempt at regime change. It's never worked before, and it won't work now. We don't waste our resources and threaten to derail global security by trying to overthrow Vladmir Putin, Xi Jinping, or Kim Jong Un. Maduro should be no different. We simply can't go to war with every dictator in the world," concluded McGovern.

Congressman McGovern has been a consistent critic of endless armed conflicts and executive overreach concerning military action not explicitly authorized by Congress. He voted against the war in Iraq, opposes illegal drone strikes-even when authorized by Democratic presidents-and has repeatedly introduced legislation to overturn the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force.

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