House Republicans rip Senate war powers push as 'political theater' after Trump's Venezuela raid

House Republicans are condemning efforts to curb Trump’s military authority to operate in Venezuela, pouring cold water on a war powers resolution making its way through the Senate.

To Rep. Mark Messmer, R-Ind., there’s a bright line for when Congress might need to consider it, and in his estimation, the president hasn’t crossed it.

"If we’re going to be there for an extended period, [Trump] needs congressional authority to do that. To do what he did last weekend does not," Messmer said Thursday, referring to the Jan. 3 military operation when the United States apprehended Maduro by force. 

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The Senate measure, spearheaded by Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., would require President Donald Trump to secure congressional approval to conduct any further military activity in Venezuela, citing the legal requirements laid out by the Constitution for U.S. entry into wars. The Senate’s resolution comes as Democrats have slammed Trump for his capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in an operation earlier this month.

In its initial consideration in the Senate, five Republican lawmakers joined with Democrats to advance the measure.

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., believes their support is a misunderstanding of the Constitution — a mischaracterization of what took place in Venezuela.

"The War Powers Resolution has never been ruled constitutional," Tenney said, referring to past efforts to reel in the power of the executive.

"This is also partially a law enforcement action. Maduro and his wife and others were indicted in a court, in a federal court. [Trump] has very, very meticulously carried out law enforcement action in addition to securing our national security interests in the Western Hemisphere," Tenney said.

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Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., echoed Tenney’s reasoning, arguing that the U.S. capture of Maduro had more in common with a law-enforcement operation than an act of war.

"This is an arrest. There was an incitement," Stutzman said. 

"And that was before the Trump administration. There was a bounty put on his head by the Biden administration of $25 million. This was an arrest," Stutzman added.

Like other Republicans, Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va., argued that the narrow use of presidential powers to enforce laws falls well within the president’s authority. In his view, Congress would be going out of its way to unnecessarily restrain Trump’s use of the military without a good reason to do so.

"We are not going to war against Venezuela. Congress' power is to declare war and that's not something that we anticipate happening right now. So, to limit [Trump’s] authority is counterproductive and unnecessary," Cline said.

On a more practical level, Messmer noted that Trump would likely veto the war powers resolution anyway — even if it did somehow clear both chambers of Congress.

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"Ultimately, the president has to sign it, and what’s the likelihood of that? It’s just political theater at this point," Messmer said.

Having cleared its first procedural hurdle, the Senate will continue to consider Kaine’s war powers resolution. It must secure 60 votes to succeed.