On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted on a bipartisan war powers resolution which Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA-02) and Thomas Massie (R-KY-04) introduced. And while the measure eventually was defeated by a tally of 215-215, it took its sweet time.
Readers might have caught when just over a week ago, on Jan. 14, as we wrote, Republicans in the U.S. Senate overcame a similar effort by Democrats and a few Republicans to restrain President Trump’s military actions against drug boats near Venezuela, and voting down that bill.
Trump Enraged As 5 GOP Senators Join Dems on Vote to Limit His Military Authority in Venezuela
So how did things play out In this case that slowed things down? A congressman in the Republican conference, Rep. Wesley Hunt (TX-38), was missing with just one vote short – leading to something of a kerfuffle as House leadership tried to get voting completed.
Then the voting clock dramatically reached zero:
The war power vote on Venezuela is 215-214. Clock has hit zero. But Wesley Hunt is still missing. They will probably hold the vote open until he arrives. A tie means the motion is defeated.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 22, 2026
Predictably, the Dems were having their usual sort of day:
As the House waits on Wesley Hunt, Rep. Pat Ryan is on the floor screaming at Republicans to close the vote.
“Pathetic, you know better,” he said.
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 22, 2026
Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman added that it rose into a cacaphony on the other side of the aisle : “Democrats are now yelling ‘order’ at Mike Johnson, who is in the middle aisle talking to Pat Ryan.”
Just about 10 minutes later, Hunt appeared and cast the deciding vote no:
WESLEY HUNT has just entered the chamber.
He voted no.
The war power resolution is going to be defeated.
Here’s a little more on the bill:
The resolution failed in a 215-215 vote, falling short of securing a majority needed to succeed. Only two Republicans, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., and Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., voted in favor of the package.
…
The resolution directs Trump to remove troops deployed to Venezuela… [and is] aimed at restricting the administration from taking future military action in the country.
Administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, say there are currently no U.S. armed forces in Venezuela,
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA-04) commented to Fox News Digital on Thursday morning that he would not expect Republicans to “break” and pass it: He added:
We are the last great superpower, and we have to allow the president the authority to use what is his under the Constitution. I don’t think we need to get in the way of that.
The White House also weighed in ahead of the vote, in a statement from spokesperson Anna Kelly to Fox News Digital, in the piece linked above:
It’s a shame that these members of Congress want to usurp the authority of the commander in chief to take vital actions to strengthen our national security and stop drugs and criminals from entering our homeland.
The vote comes on a day of high drama in the lower chamber:
READ MORE: Jack Smith’s Memory Lapse: Forgot His Own Oath – but Not Trump’s ‘Crimes’
Former Capitol Police Officer Michael Fanone Had Some Wild Moments at Jack Smith Hearing
As RedState wrote, during the hearings on Thursday featuring testimony from former special counsel Jack Smith and former Capitol police officer Michael Fanone, there were several moments of fireworks between the two men and Republicans.
This is a developing story, and we’ll bring you updates as warranted.
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