Washington, D.C. — Yesterday, Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), a Member of the House Armed Services Committee and a former intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve, helped introduce the No Unauthorized War with Venezuela Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation prohibits the executive branch from spending any federal funds on the use of military force inside Venezuela or against Venezuelan forces, including remote or intermittent strikes, unless Congress passes a specific Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF). Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) is the sponsor of this bill.
The legislation is led by every Democratic veteran in the House who served during the forever wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the Ranking Members of the House Armed Services, House Foreign Affairs, and House Intelligence committees. The cosponsors include: Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09), Rep. Greg Meeks (NY-05), Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04), Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06), Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Rep. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Rep. Pat Ryan (NY-18), Rep. Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45), and Rep. Eugene Vindman (VA-07).
“There are very good reasons why our Constitution entrusts Congress with war powers. It is a basic and critical check on the most consequential government powers and decisions — life or death decisions that can cost America’s military families and taxpayers dearly,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander. “Granite Staters believe in our Constitution. As a former intelligence officer in the Navy Reserve and now as a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I’ve seen the price of the forever wars up close. This commonsense legislation draws a simple and critical line: the President cannot unilaterally drag America into war with Venezuela without clear authorization from the United States Congress.”
The No Unauthorized War with Venezuela Act builds on longstanding concerns among lawmakers that military escalation must be debated and authorized by Congress—a principle rooted in Article I of the Constitution. With this coalition of cosponsors, the bill aims to ensure that decisions to employ force in foreign countries are deliberate, lawful, and reflective of the will and interests of the American people.
Bill text can be found here.
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