HCONRES 51119th CongressIn Committee

To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities that have not been authorized by Congress.

Introduced: Sep 23, 2025

Sponsor: Rep. Omar, Ilhan [D-MN-5] (D-Minnesota)

Defense & National Security

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

This concurrent resolution invokes the War Powers Resolution to direct the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against Venezuela and certain transnational criminal organizations designated as terrorist groups since February 20, 2025. The resolution asserts that Congress has not authorized military action against these entities and that recent military strikes and deployments in the Caribbean region constitute unauthorized hostilities. It emphasizes Congress's constitutional authority to declare war and requires that any continued military operations receive explicit congressional authorization through either a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization.

Key Points

1Invokes War Powers Resolution: Uses Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to direct the President to terminate unauthorized military operations against Venezuela and designated transnational criminal organizations
2Asserts Congressional War Powers: Reaffirms that Congress alone has constitutional authority to declare war and that existing authorizations (2001 and 2002 AUMFs) do not apply to these operations
3References Specific Military Actions: Cites September 2025 strikes in the Caribbean, deployment of U.S. warships, and presidential statements authorizing potential use of force against Venezuelan aircraft
4Clarifies Drug Trafficking Limitations: Explicitly states that drug trafficking does not constitute an armed attack justifying military force under the War Powers Resolution
5Preserves Self-Defense Rights: Includes language allowing U.S. forces to repel sudden attacks and engage in legitimate self-defense operations

Impact Areas

Executive-Legislative Relations: Would reassert congressional control over war-making decisions and limit presidential authority to conduct military operations without explicit authorizationU.S.-Venezuela Relations: Would require withdrawal of U.S. military forces from operations targeting Venezuela, potentially affecting counter-narcotics and regional security effortsMilitary Operations: Would affect ongoing or planned military deployments in the Caribbean region and operations against designated terrorist organizationsCounter-Narcotics Policy: Would limit military approaches to combating drug trafficking organizations, requiring alternative non-military strategies or new congressional authorization

Generated by claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 on Oct 2, 2025