“…the use of military force to enact regime change in a foreign nation has proven disastrous to our national security and economic interests in recent history…”

Saturday:

Rep. Cleaver’s Statement on Unconstitutional Military Action in Venezuela
January 3, 2026
Press Release

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) released the following statement after the administration’s unconstitutional military action in Venezuela.

“The president’s reckless decision to put our servicemembers in harm’s way by attacking a sovereign nation without a coherent rationale or approval from Congress is unconstitutional, destabilizing to the region, and deeply damaging to America’s reputation around the world.

“While there is not a single individual who will defend the actions of a murderous and illegitimate dictator in Nicolas Maduro, the use of military force to enact regime change in a foreign nation has proven disastrous to our national security and economic interests in recent history. Moreover, such shortsighted decision-making will only embolden despots around the world, giving tyrants in Russia and China an excuse to utilize their own military forces to depose leaders with whom they disagree.

“Whether it was the illegal strikes in Iran, Nigeria, or off the coast of South America, there is no question that this careless decision is the culmination of Congressional Republican refusal to hold the Executive Branch accountable and maintain the checks and balances that are essential to strategic and well-informed foreign policy. Now, because of this dereliction of duty, the president claims our troops and tax dollars will ‘run’ Venezuela ‘until such time as a proper transition can take place’.

“As Congress returns to Washington, the administration must immediately brief the people’s elected representatives about the legal justifications of this attack, the short-term risks to our troops and civilians, and the long-term strategy to ensure the situation in Venezuela does not result in another quagmire that the American people do not support and cannot afford.”

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