S 3344 — Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act of 2025

Summary

Prohibits the use of Department of Defense or other U.S. Government funds to conduct hostilities with respect to Venezuela unless authorized by a new law enacted after this act or by congressional authorization consistent with the War Powers Resolution
Defines "hostilities" as any situation involving any use of lethal or potentially lethal force by U.S. forces, including remotely deployed force regardless of frequency
Does not prohibit defending the U.S. or its citizens from armed attack, defending U.S. Armed Forces or personnel from armed attack, conducting lawful counternarcotics operations, or providing humanitarian assistance to Venezuela
Does not supersede any requirement of the War Powers Resolution

AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.

Sponsor (1)

Sen. Merkley, Jeff (D-OR)

9 cosponsors

Money behind the sponsor

Top reported contributors to Jeff Merkley’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.

Employer not reported $19,422
CG 7600 LP $6,600
DIGITAL VISION INC $4,629
PAHLISCH HOMES INC. $3,000
SCHAEFFER MFG. $2,900

Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for Jeff Merkley → · Outside spending →

Actions (2)

Dec 4, 2025 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. · senate
Dec 4, 2025 Introduced in Senate

Similar bills (6)

Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.

Full text

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

December 4, 2025

Mr. Merkley (for himself, Mr. Kaine, and Mr. Van Hollen) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

A BILL

To prohibit the unauthorized use of United States Armed Forces in hostilities with respect to Venezuela.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Prohibiting Unauthorized Military Action in Venezuela Act of 2025”.

SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES TO CONDUCT HOSTILITIES WITH RESPECT TO VENEZUELA.

(a) Prohibition.—None of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available for the Department of Defense, or for any other department or agency of the United States Government, may be used to conduct hostilities with respect to Venezuela, except—

(1) pursuant to a specific statutory authorization enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act; or

(2) pursuant to a congressional authorization consistent with section 2(c) of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541(c)).

(b) Rules of Construction.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the United States from—

(1) acting to defend itself or its citizens from an armed attack or the threat of an imminent armed attack;

(2) acting to defend the United States Armed Forces or United States personnel from an armed attack;

(3) conducting lawful counternarcotics operations that do not constitute hostilities; or

(4) providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela.

(c) Hostilities Defined.—In this section, the term “hostilities” means any situation involving any use of lethal or potentially lethal force by United States forces, whether such force is deployed remotely and irrespective of the intermittency thereof.

(d) Relation to the War Powers Resolution.—Nothing in this section supersedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution (50 U.S.C. 1541 et seq.). <all>

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