“To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities that have not been authorized by Congress.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section makes findings that the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. § 1541(c), limits the President’s authority to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities to 3 circumstances: a declaration of war, specific statutory authorization, or a national emergency created by an attack on the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces. It states that Congress has not declared war on, or enacted specific statutory authorization for force against, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela or any transnational criminal organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization or Specially Designated Global Terrorist since February 20, 2025, and that such designations alone provide no legal authority to use military force against those entities or any foreign state. It further finds that the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force and the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq do not authorize force against Venezuela or those organizations, that no armed attack by Venezuela or those organizations has occurred since February 20, 2025, and that drug trafficking alone does not constitute an armed attack or imminent armed attack. It also states that the September 2, 2025, strike in the Southern Caribbean, subsequent September 2025 strikes, the deployment of U.S. warships and aircraft in the Caribbean, and President Trump’s September 5, 2025, statements fall within section 4(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. § 1543(a)(1), as hostilities or a situation where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances. Finally, it cites section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution, 50 U.S.C. § 1544(c), and states that Congress should decide whether U.S. forces should be engaged in hostilities against Venezuela or those organizations after a full briefing, public debate, and a congressional vote.
This section directs the President, under section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1544(c)), to terminate the use of United States Armed Forces for hostilities against: (1) the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela or any part of its government or military, and (2) any transnational criminal organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization or Specially Designated Global Terrorist since February 20, 2025, unless Congress later enacts a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force after adoption of the concurrent resolution. It also provides that nothing in the section limits the United States’ ability to repel sudden attacks or act in self-defense under section 2(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541(c)); thus, drug trafficking alone would not qualify as an armed attack or imminent armed attack for purposes of that provision.