{"id":77384,"date":"2026-01-04T03:58:25","date_gmt":"2026-01-04T03:58:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/77384\/"},"modified":"2026-01-04T03:58:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-04T03:58:25","slug":"pa-lawmakers-react-to-venezuela-strikes-with-support-outrage-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/77384\/","title":{"rendered":"Pa. lawmakers react to Venezuela strikes with support, outrage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lawmakers around the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania are reacting to the U.S. military strike Saturday that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Statements released by the state\u2019s congressional delegation ranged the gamut from full support for President Donald Trump\u2019s action, to outright criticism, to concerns over how the United States will handle the transition of power in Venezuela.<\/p>\n

Many Democrats criticized Trump for authorizing the strike without congressional approval, while most Republicans lauded the action.<\/p>\n

Below is a running list of statements and social media posts released by lawmakers:<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-7th District<\/p>\n

The Lehigh Valley\u2019s congressman, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Western Affairs Subcommittee, praised Trump for taking action that \u201cquickly achieved its action.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe capture of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro is a decisive victory for U.S. security and regional stability,\u201d Mackenzie said in a statement. \u201cMaduro was an illegitimate dictator and narcoterrorist who funneled drugs into the United States \u2014 killing countless young Americans. As a result of this operation, the United States, the western hemisphere, and the broader world are safer and more secure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mackenzie also thanked \u201cAmerican servicemembers for their bravery, ingenuity, and success\u201d in carrying out the strike. \u201cWe are grateful that there have not been any immediate fatalities among our armed forces,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Chrissy Houlahan, D-6th District<\/p>\n

Like many in her party, the Chester County Democrat blasted the action and said Trump should instead be focused on domestic issues such as the economy and health care.<\/p>\n

\u201cInstead they have attacked an oil-rich country and are planning to \u2018manage\u2019 it,\u201d she said in a post on X. \u201cThis is a naked and reckless attempt to enrich the already rich, and to distract the American public. It presents a grave danger for our troops, and for us all.\u201d<\/p>\n

In her post, Houlahan also shared a statement from House Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Rep. Adam Smith critical of the strike.<\/p>\n

We need President Trump to focus on the crucial issues affecting Americans. He and his administration need to attack increasingly high prices, our unstable economy and the healthcare crisis.<\/p>\n

Instead they have attacked an oil-rich country and are planning to \u201cmanage\u201d it. This is\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/GUMJqzSE1J<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Chrissy Houlahan (@RepHoulahan) January 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Rob Bresnahan, R-8th District<\/p>\n

The northeast Pennsylvania Republican was blunt in his assessment of Maduro, calling him a \u201cthug who stole an election and ran a narcoterrorist regime\u201d that \u201cspread violence, drugs, and chaos that cost thousands of American lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur troops are the best in the world, and I am grateful to those who carried out this mission with unmatched skill and bravery,\u201d Bresnahan continued in a post on X.<\/p>\n

Nicol\u00e1s Maduro is a thug who stole an election and ran a narcoterrorist regime disguised as a government that spread violence, drugs, and chaos that cost thousands of American lives. The world is safer today because the United States acted decisively and stood up to evil.<\/p>\n

Our\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Congressman Rob Bresnahan Jr. (@RepBresnahan) January 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk, D<\/p>\n

The Democratic mayor sounded a note of cautious optimism while speaking to a gathering of Venezuelans at the La Bicicleta restaurant in Allentown<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are celebrating today the end, but not necessarily the end, but the beginning of the end of a dictatorship in Venezuela,\u201d Tuerk said. \u201cThis is the beginning of a process that is going to take some time, but today, it\u2019s a day of celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n

He echoed those remarks in a post on Facebook, but also was more critical of the U.S. action and said Maduro\u2019s ouster should have been led from within Venezuela.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaduro\u2019s removal only begins a process of liberation, which should be led by the Venezuelan people,\u201d Tuerk said. \u201cThey voted for Machado in 2024, and that\u2019s how Maduro and his administration should have gone out. Instead, the US infiltrated, arrested Maduro, and now says we will run the county. I wish those resources were committed to domestic policy.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser, R-9th District<\/p>\n

The Schuylkill County Republican, known for his vocal support of Trump, cited the action as an example of the president\u2019s \u201cfocus on protecting American lives and confronting evil that threatens our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI commend the brave men and women of the United States military who carried out this mission with precision and courage,\u201d Meuser continued in a Facebook post. \u201cTheir actions reflect the strength and resolve of our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D<\/p>\n

The Democratic U.S. senator, who has backed Trump on other foreign policy actions such as the strike on Iran\u2019s nuclear facilities, also supported the action in Venezuela.<\/p>\n

\u201cGrateful for our U.S. military personnel that handled these orders in Venezuela with precision,\u201d Fetterman said in a Facebook post. \u201cI maintain that we have the STRONGEST and MOST LETHAL military in the world \u2014 today proves that even more.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-1st District<\/p>\n

The Bucks County congressman, who has sometimes been at odds with Trump on foreign policy issues, praised the action, calling Maduro an \u201cillegitimate narco-terror dictator\u201d whose ouster and prosecution are \u201clong overdue.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe terrorized his people, dismantled democratic institutions, and turned the machinery of government into a state-backed criminal enterprise \u2014 exporting drugs and cartel violence into the United States, with devastating consequences for hundreds of thousands of American lives,\u201d Fitzpatrick said in a statement.<\/p>\n

However, he expressed caution on Venezuela\u2019s future after Trump said the United States would be running the country<\/a> until a transition of power takes place.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only country that the United States of America should be \u2018running\u2019 is the United States of America,\u201d Fitzpatrick said. \u201cThe United States should join the international community in monitoring and overseeing a free and fair election in Venezuela, allowing the Venezuelan people a pathway to a true democracy. \u201c<\/p>\n

U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R<\/p>\n

Pennsylvania\u2019s other U.S. senator, a Republican, also praised the action to remove Maduro.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years Maduro\u2019s regime killed our children by flooding America\u2019s streets with poison, threatened our borders, and undermined U.S. national security,\u201d McCormick said in a post on X. \u201cI urge what\u2019s left of the Maduro regime to honor the will of the Venezuelan people and transition peacefully to rightfully elected leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n

Congratulations to @POTUS<\/a> and his team and to our brave troops for this flawlessly executed mission to remove the illegitimate dictator Nicolas Maduro. For years Maduro\u2019s regime killed our children by flooding America’s streets with poison, threatened our borders, and undermined\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2014 Senator Dave McCormick (@SenMcCormickPA) January 3, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

This story will be updated.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t