The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country in an extraordinary military operation early Saturday that plucked a sitting leader from office. President Donald Trump, in a public address, insisted the U.S. government would run the country at least temporarily and would tap Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to sell “large amounts” to other countries.(Video Above: ‘We are going to run the country,’ Trump says of Venezuela)After news of the action broke, California representatives and senators in the U.S. Capitol noted that Congress was not given input on the military action. Below are statements from California politicians:Sen. Adam Schiff”Nicolás Maduro was a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela, terrorizing and oppressing its people for far too long and forcing many to leave the country. But starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution, it further erodes America’s standing on the world stage and risks our adversaries mirroring this brazen illegal escalation. “For months, as the Trump administration massed American servicemembers and firepower in the Caribbean, and used military force to destroy vessels and kill those on board, I and others in the Senate forced bipartisan votes to stop the illegal misuse of our armed forces. We warned that the true motive was not drugs, but regime change in an oil-rich nation. Despite all of the administration’s false denials, those motivations are now clear. “Acting without Congressional approval or the buy-in of the public, Trump risks plunging a hemisphere into chaos and has broken his promise to end wars instead of starting them. And in conjunction with his continued saber-rattling around the world and dropping approval ratings at home, the American people should be concerned that this is not the last time he will break that promise. “The President has vowed that this is not the end of our engagement in Venezuela, saying that ‘we’ll be involved in it very much.’ Congress must bring up a new War Powers Resolution and reassert its power to authorize force or to refuse to do so. We must speak for the American people who profoundly reject being dragged into new wars.”Sen. Alex Padilla “Let’s be absolutely clear: Trump’s military action in Venezuela is unlawful without approval from Congress. “There’s no clear objective, no endgame, and no plan for what comes next. This is a dangerous recipe for chaos in the region. “And while he escalates conflicts abroad, Trump is ignoring real crises at home — from rising health care costs to disaster recovery. This isn’t leadership.”Rep. Mike Thompson”President Trump has launched what legal experts say is an illegal military action against Venezuela. Decisions regarding military force when there is no immediate danger to the United States must involve Congress. That’s why I voted in support of the NDAA, which reins in the president’s ability to make unilateral military decisions. Congress must be convened immediately to hear the legal justification for this attack, its objectives, a detailed timeline for military action, the costs to U.S. taxpayers, and a plan to prevent further chaos in the region.”Rep. Doris Matsui”Sending U.S. forces into another country without congressional authorization or notification to remove its government constitutes an unauthorized act of war by the President. This action demands accountability. “Military conflict should be a last resort, not an impulsive tool of foreign policy. Acting without congressional authorization is illegal, reckless, and risks entangling the United States in a broader conflict that doesn’t make America or the world safer. After repeatedly denying any intent to pursue regime change through military action, the Trump administration has now done exactly that — without approval and without a plan. “Nicolas Maduro has inflicted incalculable harm on his people in pursuit of personal enrichment. Acknowledging his illegitimate reign and corruption does not excuse the method by which he was removed. The means used are illegal and establish a dangerous precedent.”Rep. Ami Bera”Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate leader who has inflicted hardship on the people of Venezuela. I hope this moment leads to a real democratic transition driven by the Venezuelan people. “But the decision to launch military strikes without congressional input, support, or authorization is deeply concerning and illegal. “President Trump has failed to present a clear and credible strategy for governance or democratic transition in Venezuela. He is drawing our nation into another open-ended conflict and risking a repeat of failed nation-building efforts. “The Administration must brief Congress immediately. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I expect both committees to hold prompt and thorough briefings.”See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
The United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country in an extraordinary military operation early Saturday that plucked a sitting leader from office.
President Donald Trump, in a public address, insisted the U.S. government would run the country at least temporarily and would tap Venezuela’s vast oil reserves to sell “large amounts” to other countries.
(Video Above: ‘We are going to run the country,’ Trump says of Venezuela)
After news of the action broke, California representatives and senators in the U.S. Capitol noted that Congress was not given input on the military action.
Below are statements from California politicians:
Sen. Adam Schiff
“Nicolás Maduro was a thug and an illegitimate leader of Venezuela, terrorizing and oppressing its people for far too long and forcing many to leave the country. But starting a war to remove Maduro doesn’t just continue Donald Trump’s trampling of the Constitution, it further erodes America’s standing on the world stage and risks our adversaries mirroring this brazen illegal escalation.
“For months, as the Trump administration massed American servicemembers and firepower in the Caribbean, and used military force to destroy vessels and kill those on board, I and others in the Senate forced bipartisan votes to stop the illegal misuse of our armed forces. We warned that the true motive was not drugs, but regime change in an oil-rich nation. Despite all of the administration’s false denials, those motivations are now clear.
“Acting without Congressional approval or the buy-in of the public, Trump risks plunging a hemisphere into chaos and has broken his promise to end wars instead of starting them. And in conjunction with his continued saber-rattling around the world and dropping approval ratings at home, the American people should be concerned that this is not the last time he will break that promise.
“The President has vowed that this is not the end of our engagement in Venezuela, saying that ‘we’ll be involved in it very much.’ Congress must bring up a new War Powers Resolution and reassert its power to authorize force or to refuse to do so. We must speak for the American people who profoundly reject being dragged into new wars.”
Sen. Alex Padilla
“Let’s be absolutely clear: Trump’s military action in Venezuela is unlawful without approval from Congress.
“There’s no clear objective, no endgame, and no plan for what comes next. This is a dangerous recipe for chaos in the region.
“And while he escalates conflicts abroad, Trump is ignoring real crises at home — from rising health care costs to disaster recovery. This isn’t leadership.”
Rep. Mike Thompson
“President Trump has launched what legal experts say is an illegal military action against Venezuela. Decisions regarding military force when there is no immediate danger to the United States must involve Congress. That’s why I voted in support of the NDAA, which reins in the president’s ability to make unilateral military decisions. Congress must be convened immediately to hear the legal justification for this attack, its objectives, a detailed timeline for military action, the costs to U.S. taxpayers, and a plan to prevent further chaos in the region.”
Rep. Doris Matsui
“Sending U.S. forces into another country without congressional authorization or notification to remove its government constitutes an unauthorized act of war by the President. This action demands accountability.
“Military conflict should be a last resort, not an impulsive tool of foreign policy. Acting without congressional authorization is illegal, reckless, and risks entangling the United States in a broader conflict that doesn’t make America or the world safer. After repeatedly denying any intent to pursue regime change through military action, the Trump administration has now done exactly that — without approval and without a plan.
“Nicolas Maduro has inflicted incalculable harm on his people in pursuit of personal enrichment. Acknowledging his illegitimate reign and corruption does not excuse the method by which he was removed. The means used are illegal and establish a dangerous precedent.”
Rep. Ami Bera
“Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate leader who has inflicted hardship on the people of Venezuela. I hope this moment leads to a real democratic transition driven by the Venezuelan people.
“But the decision to launch military strikes without congressional input, support, or authorization is deeply concerning and illegal.
“President Trump has failed to present a clear and credible strategy for governance or democratic transition in Venezuela. He is drawing our nation into another open-ended conflict and risking a repeat of failed nation-building efforts.
“The Administration must brief Congress immediately. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I expect both committees to hold prompt and thorough briefings.”
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel