Leader Schumer Floor Remarks Urging Senate Passage Of The Venezuelan War Powers Resolution

Washington, D.C. - Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor urging Senate passage of Senator Kaine's (D-VA) Venezuelan war powers resolution, which would reaffirm Congress's authority to authorize military actions in Venezuela. Below are Senator Schumer's remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Today, the Senate will vote to discharge a resolution that says two, two simple things. First, it affirms that the United States Senate will always support our troops when they act to protect the American people-and themselves-from foreign attack. But it also says that if Donald Trump wants to engage in military hostilities against Venezuela, he must seek authorization from Congress first.

As we speak, America's largest aircraft carrier, the Gerald Ford, is on its way to the Caribbean. It is part of the largest military buildup in our hemisphere that we've seen in decades. According to press reports, Donald Trump is considering military action on Venezuelan territory. But it also sounds like nobody really knows what the plan is, because like so many other things with Donald Trump, he keeps changing his mind. Who knows what he will do tomorrow?

To date, we have heard no clear goals, no clear timeline, no clear explanation for what Donald Trump's objective is in Venezuela. This is unacceptable and its dangerous. Even at our briefing with Secretary Rubio yesterday, we walked out of the room with more questions than answers. We need a clear explanation.

I am demanding a full Senators briefing on this issue-Venezuela and its intervention there-at once.

In the meantime, the Senate must act today to discharge this resolution because Donald Trump seems ready to lead our troops over the Rubicon with a blindfold over his eyes, and that is a recipe for catastrophe. Congress must assert its authority on matters of war and peace. And time is of the essence.

Multiple warships have moved from other ports of the world to be just off the coast of Venezuela. By some estimates ten percent of the Navy's deployed assets are now in the Southern Command area of responsibility. These actions certainly do not sound like mere drug enforcement against organized criminals. Not even close. These are the actions you take before you consider launching a major military operation against another country, and that authority-the Constitution is clear-must come from Congress.

Nobody here denies that the Maduro regime is horrific and undemocratic. And we also agree that drug traffickers and organized criminals who poison Americans ought to be tracked down and dismantled. That's why when I was Majority Leader, Congress provided billions for counternarcotics operations and granted sweeping authorities to combat the flow of narcotics and opioids like fentanyl. And if we must do more, we should.

We should help law enforcement, intelligence operators, and federal agents to dismantle criminal networks and drug smugglers. But saber-rattling and military escalations are a poor substitute-a poor substitute-for a real counternarcotics strategy.

I ask my colleagues: remember what Colin Powell used to say about military force? You break it, you own it. It's the old Pottery Barn Rule. That is the danger of unilateral attacks against Venezuela: if we break it, we are going to own it.

The mere thought of another endless war ought to make the American people sick to their stomachs. So today the Senate must act-to uphold the Constitution, uphold our national security, and reaffirm the authority of Congress to have its proper say on matters of war and peace.

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