Congressman Moulton Leads Democratic Veterans and the Ranking Members of the National Security Committees in Introducing Legislation to Prevent Unauthorized War with Venezuela
December 19, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) officially introduced the No Unauthorized War with Venezuela Act in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation prohibits the executive branch from spending any federal funds on the use of military inside Venezuela or against Venezuelan forces, including remote or intermittent strikes, unless Congress passes a specific Authorization for the Use of Military Force (AUMF).
The legislation is led by every Democratic veteran in the House who served during the forever wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the Ranking Members of the House Armed Services, House Foreign Affairs, and House Intelligence committees. The cosponsors include: Rep. Adam Smith (WA-09), Rep. Greg Meeks (NY-05), Rep. Jim Himes (CT-04), Rep. Ted Lieu (CA-36), Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Rep. Jason Crow (CO-06), Rep. Jared Golden (ME-02), Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Rep. Jake Auchincloss (MA-04), Rep. Pat Ryan (NY-18), Rep. Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Rep. Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Rep. Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45), and Rep. Eugene Vindman (VA-07).
“The American people do not want to send their sons and daughters to fight another regime change war based on lies,” said Congressman Moulton. "I came to Congress because I paid the price for the failure of Congress to prevent the war in Iraq and expose the Bush Administration's lies. If this war is truly in our interests, the Trump Administration must justify it and convince Congress. If they cannot do so, our troops and their families deserve leadership willing to stand up the president and say no—not on our watch.”
The No Unauthorized War with Venezuela Act builds on longstanding concerns among lawmakers that military escalation must be debated and authorized by Congress—a principle rooted in Article I of the Constitution. With this coalition of cosponsors, the bill aims to ensure that decisions to employ force in foreign countries are deliberate, lawful, and reflective of the will and interests of the American people.
Bill text can be found here.
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