By Patricia Zengerle
WASHINGTON, Dec 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly defeated two resolutions on Wednesday seeking to rein in President Donald Trump’s aggression toward Venezuela, amid widespread speculation that the Republican will launch an attack on the South American oil state’s territory.
Wednesday’s votes took place hours before Trump was due to address the country from the White House. The rare evening speech was expected to focus on what he sees as big victories but could also address his foreign policy priorities a day after he ordered a “blockade” of sanctioned oil tankers leaving and entering Venezuela.
The Republican-majority House voted 216 to 210 against a resolution sponsored by Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, that would remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with “any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere” unless authorized by Congress.
It also voted 213 to 211 to defeat a resolution sponsored by Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, directing the president to remove U.S. forces from hostilities with or against Venezuela without congressional authorization.
PARTY LINES
Both votes were almost exclusively along party lines. Two Republicans voted with Democrats for the first resolution, and three backed the second. Two Democrats opposed the first resolution and one voted no on the second.
U.S. troops have carried out more than 20 strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since early September, killing more than 80 people as Trump escalates a military buildup against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government.
The Trump administration has been weighing options to combat what it says is Maduro’s role in the supply of illegal drugs that have killed Americans. The socialist Venezuelan president has denied having any links to the illegal drug trade.
U.S. lawmakers have long accused presidents from both parties of seeking to sidestep the U.S. Constitution’s requirement that Congress, not the president, approve anything other than brief military action.
Members of Congress have tried repeatedly to force Trump to obtain congressional authorization for the Venezuela campaign since it began in early September. But every effort has been defeated due to opposition from Trump’s fellow Republicans, who hold slim majorities in both the House and Senate.
Speaking in opposition, Representative Brian Mast of Florida, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called the resolutions a Democratic ploy “to block President Trump from defending the U.S. from designated cartel terrorists.”
Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, one of the few Republicans who voted in favor, said the power to declare war should not be in the hands of one man.
“If the president believes military action against Venezuela is justified and needed, he should make the case and Congress should vote,” Massie said in a House speech.
(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Stephen Coates)
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