Booker Condemns U.S. Military Action in Venezuela

U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued a statement on Jan. 3 criticizing President Donald Trump’s military actions in Venezuela and condemning Congress for failing to exercise its constitutional oversight responsibilities.

“Today, many leaders will rightly condemn President Donald Trump’s unlawful and unjust actions in Venezuela, and I join them,” Booker stated. He also pointed to a broader concern: “Congress, now led by Republicans, has chosen spineless complicity over its sworn responsibilities.”

Booker, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, cited unauthorized military operations and a lack of accountability as evidence of a constitutional crisis. “From the reckless leaking of classified information that put American troops at risk, to the illegal use of military force… there has been a stunning absence of accountability,” he said.

He emphasized that the U.S. Constitution grants Congress—not the president—the authority to declare war and oversee military actions. “Congress has failed,” Booker said. “But it is not too late to redeem the harm done by a year of submission and silence.”

While acknowledging the abuses of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and praising U.S. military personnel, Booker reiterated that constitutional limits must be respected. “None of that suspends the Constitution,” he said.

Booker called on Congress, particularly Republican leadership, to “reassert its constitutional authority, restore the rule of law, and stop this president before further injury is done to our democracy and our republic.”