To direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Republic of Cuba that have not been authorized by Congress.

HJRES153, introduced by Rep. Velázquez (D-NY-7) on March 24, 2026, and referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, is a procedural joint resolution asserting Congress's sole power to declare war. It directs the removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities within or against Cuba unless a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force is enacted. The bill specifically references the War Powers Resolution and includes a rule of construction preserving self-defense and counternarcotics operations.

The bill is in its earliest stage — referred to committee with no further action for over three months. It has 12 cosponsors, all presumably Democrats. Legislative momentum is effectively zero; the Republican-controlled House is unlikely to advance a resolution that could be seen as restricting presidential authority. A companion Senate bill (SJRES124) failed to discharge from committee, indicating poor prospects.

No funding is authorized or appropriated. The bill is purely restrictive — it does not create any new programs or contract vehicles. The money trail is nonexistent. The only market implication is a theoretical reduction in the probability of future unauthorized military operations against Cuba that could benefit defense contractors. However, no such operations are currently underway or publicly planned.

Structural winners: None. Losers (theoretical and low probability): defense primes with naval and missile capabilities — LMT, NOC, GD, HII, RTX. Their revenue streams from current programs (F-35, B-21, Virginia-class, Ford-class, Standard Missile) are completely unaffected. The bill would only be market-relevant if it indicated high political will to limit executive war powers, which the current Congress does not exhibit.

Timeline: The bill is likely to remain in committee without a hearing. For it to advance, it would need a discharge petition, markup, floor vote, Senate passage, and presidential signature. Given the partisan makeup and the absence of a triggering event (e.g., new hostilities in Cuba), the probability of enactment is below 5%.