Washington DC - The House on Thursday narrowly failed to pass a war powers resolution that would have barred the Trump administration from sending US troops to Venezuela.

The vote on the resolution – which needed a simple majority to pass – was tied 215-215. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Don Bacon of Nebraska were the only Republicans to join Democrats in favor.

Republicans held the vote open for more than 20 minutes to allow Representative Wesley Hunt to return to the Capitol to cast his vote, which resulted in the measure's failure, the Associated Press reported.

Hunt has been absent from the House all week as he campaigns for the US Senate in Texas.

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The resolution would require the president "to remove United States Armed Forces from Venezuela, unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific statutory authorization for use of military force."

The move comes after President Donald Trump sent US special forces into Venezuela to abduct President Nicolas Maduro. He stated that "Operation Absolute Resolve" was about claiming US control over Venezuela's oil reserves indefinitely.

The president did not seek congressional approval before authorizing the invasion. He suggested that "leakers" in Congress would have compromised the operation.

"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," Democratic Representative James McGovern of Texas, who introduced the resolution, said in a statement.

"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," McGovern added.