Venezuelan Strikes and Congressional War Powers

Floor Speech

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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm for our Republic and our Constitution.

Every one of us here in Congress swore a solemn oath to protect and defend our Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. We did not give any President a blank check for war.

President Trump is over his skis. Article I of our Constitution, the first power the Founders saw fit to forge into the foundation of our Nation, gave Congress the power to declare war and send our troops into battle. No one person can send our brave sons and daughters into conflict on a whim.

Instead, what have we witnessed? We have witnessed a dangerous, aggressive build-up of U.S. military power in the Caribbean.

Where is the money coming from to do that? What is it being taken from? Lethal strikes against vessels off the coast of Venezuela are increasing. Then the Secretary of Defense allegedly gave an order to kill everybody on a boat. What is the legal authority under which those orders were given?

These strikes both are an escalation abroad and a direct attack on our U.S. Constitution here at home. Congress must reassert its constitutional authority to authorize the funds to pay for war.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly supported this year's national defense bill. We must conduct vigorous oversight to halt this executive branch unilateral war-making. Our soldiers deserve us to do that.

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