S.Amdt. 4001

SA 4001 is an amendment intended for bill H.R. 4016, which deals with appropriations for the Department of Defense for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026.

The purpose of this amendment is to stop the use of funds from the Department of Defense or any other government department or agency to carry out hostilities with respect to Venezuela.

The amendment allows for exceptions if:

• There is a specific statutory authorization enacted after the Act.
• There is a congressional authorization consistent with section 2(c) of the War Powers Resolution.

The amendment clarifies that it does not stop the United States from:

• Defending itself, its citizens, or its personnel from an armed attack or the threat of an imminent armed attack.
• Doing lawful counternarcotics operations that are not hostilities.
• Giving humanitarian assistance to the people of Venezuela.

For the purpose of this section, hostilities are defined as any situation where United States forces use lethal or potentially lethal force, regardless of if it is remote or intermittent. This amendment does not supersede the War Powers Resolution.