由“八人帮”组成的国会高层领导人在1995年国会选举前没有收到政府的简报美国在委内瑞拉的罢工开始了多个消息来源周六早上告诉ABC新闻。
根据一个消息来源，国防部在行动开始后通知了国会工作人员。
几周前，唐纳德·特朗普总统表示他不会在委内瑞拉的任何土地行动之前向立法者做简报，因为他担心他们会“泄密”。
早期国会的反应在很大程度上按党派划分。
国务卿马尔科·卢比奥周六上午通过电话来争取国会共和党人的支持。
值得注意的是，犹他州共和党参议员李政颖最初似乎对未经国会授权采取的行动持批评态度。
“我期待着了解，在没有宣战或授权使用武力的情况下，宪法上有什么可以证明这一行动是正当的，”李在x上发帖说。
但后来，李在他的帖子中说，他已经与卢比奥通过电话，现在对政府采取行动的权力感到满意。
“刚刚与@SecRubio通过电话，他告诉我，尼古拉斯·马杜罗(Nicolás Maduro)已被美国人员逮捕，以在美国接受刑事指控的审判，我们今晚看到的动态行动是为了保护和捍卫那些执行逮捕令的人。这一行动可能属于总统根据宪法第二条的固有权力，以保护美国人员免受实际或迫在眉睫的袭击。谢谢你，@SecRubio，让我了解情况，”李写道。
他还说，卢比奥告诉他，他预计“马杜罗现在被美国拘留，委内瑞拉不会采取进一步行动。”
“这不是那种你可以向国会通报的任务。卢比奥后来在Mar-a-Lago新闻发布会上说:“这是一次基于触发的任务，必须夜复一夜地满足条件。”。
“请记住，归根结底，这是逮捕两名被美国司法部门起诉的逃犯，陆军部支持司法部开展这项工作。现在这里有更广泛的政策含义，但这不是那种你可以预先通知的任务，因为它危及任务，”他说。
参议院情报委员会主席汤姆·科顿是阿肯色州的共和党人，他在表示自己也与卢比奥谈过之后，附和了李的评论。
“尼古拉斯·马杜罗不仅仅是一个非法独裁者;他还经营着一个庞大的贩毒集团。这就是为什么他在近六年前因贩毒和毒品恐怖主义而被美国法院起诉，”Cotton在x上发帖说，“我刚刚与@SecRubio通了话，他证实马杜罗已被美国拘留，并将因其对我国公民犯下的罪行而面临审判。我赞扬特朗普总统和我们勇敢的部队和执法人员开展了这场令人难以置信的行动。”
后来，科顿对福克斯新闻频道说:"每当行政部门进行逮捕时，不需要通知国会。这正是今天早上在委内瑞拉发生的事情，现在马杜罗将来到美国，他将面临正义。"
众议院议长·迈克·约翰逊在一份声明中说，他已经在“过去几个小时”与卢比奥和国防部长皮特·黑格斯通了话，称在委内瑞拉的军事行动是“决定性的”，是“保护美国人生命的正当行动”
约翰逊表示，特朗普政府正在努力安排下周国会在假期结束后返回华盛顿时举行简报会。
参议院多数党领袖、南达科他州共和党人约翰·图恩(John Thune)在一份声明中表示，他也与卢比奥进行了交谈，并认为特朗普的行为是其行为的一部分"一份有效的司法部授权令的执行."
“特朗普总统采取果断行动，通过执行有效的司法部逮捕令，打破不可接受的现状并逮捕马杜罗，这是将他绳之以法的重要的第一步，因为他在美国被指控犯有毒品罪，”图恩说。
众议院情报委员会的最高民主党人、康涅狄格州众议员吉姆·希姆斯反驳说，卢比奥否认政权更迭是政府的目标。
他在一份声明中说:“马杜罗是一个非法统治者，但我没有看到任何证据表明，他的总统任期构成了威胁，可以在没有国会授权的情况下采取军事行动，我也没有听到第二天的战略以及我们将如何防止委内瑞拉陷入混乱。”“国防部长卢比奥一再向国会否认政府打算迫使委内瑞拉政权更迭。政府必须立即向国会汇报其确保该地区稳定的计划，以及这一决定的法律依据。"
在周六早上的一份声明中，弗吉尼亚州民主党参议员蒂姆·凯恩是参议院最直言不讳地支持国会战争授权的人之一，他对特朗普在委内瑞拉的行动发表了一份措辞严厉的声明，并呼吁国会接受特朗普的决议，该决议将阻止使用美国武装部队在委内瑞拉境内或针对委内瑞拉进行敌对行动，除非得到国会授权。
“接下来会怎样?总统会部署我们的军队来保护伊朗抗议者吗?去执行加沙脆弱的停火协议?打击尼日利亚的恐怖分子?夺取格陵兰或巴拿马运河?压制美国人和平集会抗议他的政策?”凯恩说。
他说:“特朗普已经威胁要做所有这些事情，并且认为没有必要在让军人面临风险之前寻求人民选举的立法机构的法律授权。”
凯恩与加利福尼亚州民主党参议员亚当·希夫和肯塔基州共和党参议员兰德·保罗共同发起了一项战争权力决议除非得到国会授权，否则阻止使用美国军队在委内瑞拉境内或针对委内瑞拉进行敌对行动。
那项立法已准备好进行投票表决。参议院将于下周一返回华盛顿，而众议院将于周二返回。
上个月，共和党人否决了两项试图控制总统在加勒比海和东太平洋军事行动的民主党战争权力决议。
第一项措施，H. Con. Res. 61，将指示总统解除美国武装部队与西半球任何总统指定的恐怖组织的敌对行动，除非宣战或为此目的使用武力的授权已经颁布。
该决议由众议院外交事务委员会资深民主党人格雷戈里·米克斯(Gregory Meeks)起草。12月17日的投票以210票对216票失败，两名共和党人投票赞成，两名民主党人反对这项措施。
“这一行动也违反了国际法，进一步损害了美国的全球地位，”纽约民主党人米克斯周六在行动后表示。“在这种升级导致更大的不稳定、混乱和对美国人生命的不必要风险之前，国会必须重申其宪法作用。”
另一项战争权力决议H. Con. Res. 64由马萨诸塞州民主党众议员吉姆·麦戈文(Jim McGovern)倡导，旨在解决与委内瑞拉的敌对行动，以211-213的投票结果勉强失败，三名共和党人投了赞成票，这与众议院共和党会议的其他人不一致。得克萨斯州众议员亨利·库勒尔是一名温和派民主党人，他和共和党人一起投票否决了这项措施。
周六，麦戈文认为罢工是非法的。
“在没有国会授权的情况下，在绝大多数美国人反对军事行动的情况下，特朗普刚刚对委内瑞拉发动了不公正的非法打击，”他在x上发帖说。
尽管国会共和党人压倒性地表示支持特朗普政府抓捕马杜罗的行动，但至少有三名众议院共和党人对该行动发表了批评声明。
肯塔基州共和党众议员托马斯·马西发布在X上:“如果这一行动符合宪法，司法部长就不会在推特上说他们逮捕了一个主权国家的总统和他的妻子，因为他们拥有枪支违反了1934年的美国枪支法。”
内布拉斯加州众议员Don Bacon在X上发表了部分内容，“我现在主要担心的是俄罗斯会利用这一点来为他们对乌克兰的非法和野蛮的军事行动辩护，或者为入侵中国台湾辩护。昨晚自由和法治得到了捍卫，但独裁者将试图利用这一点来合理化他们自私的目标。”
佐治亚州共和党众议员马乔里·泰勒·格林(Marjorie Taylor Greene)发表了部分内容，“如果美国在委内瑞拉的军事行动和政权更迭真的是为了从致命毒品中拯救美国人的生命，那么特朗普政府为什么没有对墨西哥卡特尔采取行动?”
她补充说，“如果起诉毒品恐怖分子是一个优先事项，那么为什么特朗普总统赦免了洪都拉斯前总统胡安·奥兰多·埃尔南德斯，他因向美国贩运数百吨可卡因而被定罪并判处45年徒刑?具有讽刺意味的是，可卡因正是委内瑞拉主要贩运到美国的毒品
格林继续说，“美国人对我们自己的政府永无休止的军事侵略和对外战争的支持感到厌恶是有道理的，因为我们被迫为此付出代价，而两党，共和党和民主党，总是让华盛顿的军事机器得到资助和运转。这是MAGA的许多人认为他们投票结束。男孩，我们错了。"
Republicans largely back Trump on Venezuela action, Democrats decry it as unjustified
Top congressional leaders -- comprising the "Gang of 8" -- did not receive a briefing from the administration before theU.S. strike in Venezuela began, multiple sources told ABC News Saturday morning.
Per one source, the Department of Defense notified congressional staff after the operation started.
Weeks ago, President Donald Trump indicated he wouldn’tbrief lawmakers in advance of any land operations in Venezuela because he was worried they would “leak."
Early congressional reaction largely split along party lines.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio worked the phones Saturday morning to shore up support among Republicans on Capitol Hill.
Notably, Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee initially seemed critical of the action being taken without authorization by Congress.
"I look forward to learning what, if anything, might constitutionally justify this action in the absence of a declaration of war or authorization for the use of military force," Lee posted on X.
But later, Lee followed up his post saying he had spoken by phone with Rubio about and was now comfortable with the administration's authority to take action.
"Just got off the phone with @SecRubio He informed me that Nicolás Maduro has been arrested by U.S. personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States, and that the kinetic action we saw tonight was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack Thank you, @SecRubio, for keeping me apprised," Lee wrote.
He also said that Rubio told him he anticipates "no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody."
"This is not the kind of mission that you can do congressional notification on. It was a trigger-based mission in which conditions had to be met night after night," Rubio said later at a Mar-a-Lago news conference.
"Remember, at the end of day, at its core, this was an arrest of two indicted fugitives of American justice, and the Department of War supported the Department of Justice in that job. Now there are broader policy implications here, but it's just not the kind of mission that you can pre-notify because it endangers the mission," he said.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, echoed Lee's comments after saying he, too, had spoken with Rubio.
"Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation. That’s why he was indicted in U.S. court nearly six years ago for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism," Cotton posted on X. "I just spoke to @SecRubio, who confirmed that Maduro is in U.S. custody and will face justice for his crimes against our citizens. I commend President Trump and our brave troops and law-enforcement officers for this incredible operation."
Later, speaking to Fox News, Cotton said,"Congress doesn't need to be notified ever time the executive branch is making an arrest. And that's exactly what happened this morning in Venezuela, and now Maduro is going to come to the United States, and he's going to face justice."
House Speaker Mike Johnson said in a statement he has spoken to Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in "the last several hours" -- calling the military action in Venezuela "decisive" and a "justified operation that will protect American lives."
Johnson said the Trump administration is working to schedule briefings next week when Congress returns to Washington after the holiday break.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, said in a statement that he had spoken with Rubio as well and argued Trump's actions were undertaken as part of"the execution of a valid Department of Justice warrant."
"President Trump’s decisive action to disrupt the unacceptable status quo and apprehend Maduro, through the execution of a valid Department of Justice warrant, is an important first step to bring him to justice for the drug crimes for which he has been indicted in the United States," Thune said.
"Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, but I have seen no evidence that his presidency poses a threat that would justify military action without Congressional authorization, nor have I heard a strategy for the day after and how we will prevent Venezuela from descending into chaos," he said in a statement."Secretary Rubio repeatedly denied to Congress that the Administration intended to force regime change in Venezuela.The Administration must immediately brief Congress on its plan to ensure stability in the region and its legal justification for this decision."
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine appeared on "Good Morning America" to discuss the debate performance of his running mate, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
In a statement Saturday morning, Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, one of the Senate's most vocal advocates for congressional war authorizations, issued a scathing statement on Trump's actions in Venezuela and called for Congress to take up his resolution that would block the use of the U.S. armed forces to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress.
“Where will this go next? Will the President deploy our troops to protect Iranian protesters? To enforce the fragile ceasefire in Gaza? To battle terrorists in Nigeria? To seize Greenland or the Panama Canal? To suppress Americans peacefully assembling to protest his policies?" Kaine said.
"Trump has threatened to do all this and more and sees no need to seek legal authorization from people’s elected legislature before putting servicemembers at risk," he said.
Kaine, along with California Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff and co-sponsor GOP Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, introduced a war powers resolution last monthto block the use of the U.S. military to engage in hostilities within or against Venezuela unless authorized by Congress.
That legislation is ready to be called up for a vote. The Senate returns to Washington next week on Monday, while the House returns on Tuesday.
Last month, Republicans defeated two Democratic war powers resolutions that attempted to reign in the president’s military actions in the Caribbean and East Pacific.
The first measure, H. Con. Res. 61, would direct the president to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities with any presidentially designated terrorist organization in the Western Hemisphere unless a declaration of war or authorization to use military force for such purpose has been enacted.
That resolution was authored by the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gregory Meeks. A vote failed on Dec. 17 by a count of 210-216, with two Republicans voting in favor and two Democrats opposed to the measure.
"This action is also a violation of international law and further undermines America’s global standing," Meeks, D-N.Y., stated Saturday following the operation. "Congress must reassert its constitutional role before this escalation leads to greater instability, chaos, and unnecessary risk to American lives."
A separate war powers resolution, H. Con. Res. 64 -- championed by Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern and written to address hostilities with Venezuela, narrowly failed by a vote of 211-213, with three Republicans voting in favor -- at odds with the rest of the House Republican Conference. One moderate Democrat, Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas, voted to defeat the measure alongside Republicans.
On Saturday, McGovern argued the strikes are illegal.
"Without authorization from Congress, and with the vast majority of Americans opposed to military action, Trump just launched an unjustified, illegal strike on Venezuela," he posted on X.
While congressional Republicans overwhelmingly expressed support for the Trump administration's operation to capture Maduro, at least three House Republicans put out critical statements of the action.
GOP Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentuckyposted on X: "If this action were constitutionally sound, the Attorney General wouldn’t be tweeting that they’ve arrested the President of a sovereign country and his wife for possessing guns in violation of a 1934 U.S. firearm law."
Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska posted on X, in part, "My main concern is now Russia will use this to justify their illegal and barbaric military actions against Ukraine, or China to justify an invasion of Taiwan. Freedom and rule of law were defended last night, but dictators will try to exploit this to rationalize their selfish objectives."
Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia posted, in part, "If U.S. military action and regime change in Venezuela was really about saving American lives from deadly drugs then why hasn’t the Trump admin taken action against Mexican cartels?"
She added, "And if prosecuting narco terrorists is a high priority then why did President Trump pardon the former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez who was convicted and sentenced for 45 years for trafficking hundreds of tons of cocaine into America? Ironically cocaine is the same drug that Venezuela primarily traffics into the U.S.
Greene continued, "Americans disgust with our own government’s never ending military aggression and support of foreign wars is justified because we are forced to pay for it and both parties, Republicans and Democrats, always keep the Washington military machine funded and going. This is what many in MAGA thought they voted to end.Boy were we wrong."
