The U.S. House of Representatives rejected a bid to end five presidential emergency declarations that allow for sanctions against Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Libya and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Four Republican Representatives - Lauren Boebert, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar and Eli Crane - used separate measures known as privileged resolutions to require votes on whether to end these longstanding emergency declarations.

The House rejected the resolutions in a series of votes, with some members warning that ending the emergencies would unfreeze the assets of militia leaders, arms dealers and accused war criminals, while denying compensation to U.S. victims of terrorism.

The emergency declarations date back to the presidencies of Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama.

"Nothing gets accomplished here without force," said Colorado representative Lauren Boebert, who pursued a similar legislative avenue last month in an effort to force a vote on a measure to impeach Joe Biden.

The group said they would bring additional resolutions to draw attention to 41 national emergency declarations, including one against Iran dating back to the 1970s, which they said have been allowed to remain in place without adequate Congress review.

"There'll be 36 more coming your way, because once again, when Congress doesn't do its job, somebody's got to squawk. And I'll be one of those that squawks from here to the sunset," Arizona representative Paul Gosar said in the floor debate.