Press Releases

WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and the Co-Chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released this statement following a tie vote on H. Con. Res. 68, legislation designed to prevent the Trump administration from further escalating hostilities in Venezuela:

“I'm disappointed we did not win this vote, but I want to be clear—this was important progress. We forced Republicans to go on the record after Donald Trump's unauthorized, illegal strike. We made the vote as uncomfortable as possible for them. Ultimately, Speaker Johnson held a two minute vote open for half an hour—flying a Member of Congress in from Texas—all to end in a tie. It's shameful that most Republicans voted against this resolution, but it was not an easy win for them.

“We were told the Trump administration would come to Congress before attacking Venezuela—they did not. To this day the White House still can’t give clear answers about why our troops were put in harm’s way, what comes next, or whether there will be more strikes or even boots on the ground again. And let’s be honest about what we got after all that chaos: Trump replaced one illegitimate dictator with another, kept the same corrupt cartel state in place, and now Republicans want credit for it. 

“Today’s bipartisan vote underscores there is strong opposition from across the political spectrum to Donald Trump’s foreign policy chaos and disorder. His adventurism in Venezuela isn’t about drugs or democracy, it’s about oil. And I for one don’t want to put American forces in harm’s way to defend Big Oil. This fight is far from over.”