By Tiffany Williams –
Top Democrats on Congress’ national security committees sharply criticized President Trump on Tuesday after the administration confirmed a second U.S. military strike on a boat off the coast of Venezuela.
In a joint statement, Reps. Adam Smith (Wash.), Jim Himes (Conn.), Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), and Bennie Thompson (Miss.) said Trump again bypassed Congress by ordering the action without authorization.
“As was the case with the first strike on September 2, the Trump Administration failed to secure authorization for the use of force,” the lawmakers said. “Yet again, the president has made the unilateral decision to carry out a lethal military strike … rather than a law enforcement response.”
The strike targeted a small boat with three people aboard that officials linked to drug trafficking, according to the administration.
The Democratic leaders argued Trump has “failed to state a clear military objective” and warned that expanding the use of the military against cartels risks an open-ended conflict. They also accused the White House of withholding critical details from Congress, which under the Constitution has the power to declare war.
“The Trump Administration must immediately brief the relevant Congressional committees … and explain the legal basis for these strikes,” the statement said.