Venezuela
I strongly condemn the aggressive and unilateral actions taken by the Trump administration concerning Venezuela, which have dangerously escalated regional tensions. These actions could entrench the United States in a conflict at great cost to Americans in the military, their families, and American taxpayers. Congress should take steps to stop these actions immediately.
Extrajudicial Military Strikes on Vessels: I condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the use of military force to conduct drone strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. Since September 2025, at least 25 strikes have killed over 90 people, including the follow-up attack that killed stranded survivors - a potential war crime under the Geneva Conventions. The Trump Administration has not provided public evidence justifying the strikes and has kept the Congress and the American public in the dark. These actions lack Congressional authorization, violate the War Powers Resolution, and have prompted formal complaints with the United Nations Security Council.
Worsening Regional Instability and Triggering Mass Migration: The economic harm, threats of war, and goal of regime change from the Trump Administration threaten the entire region. History shows us that war and economic hardship triggers mass migration to surrounding areas and can lead to instability that lasts decades. Brazil and Colombia are already struggling with Venezuelans fleeing their country. American taxpayers will be on the hook far beyond the additional $170 billion that Republicans in Congress have authorized in the One Big “Beautiful” Bill for the Trump Administration’s cruel and ineffective immigration policies. These actions undermine the Trump Administration’s own immigration efforts and further underscores that this Administration and Republicans in Congress are not serious about addressing our immigration challenges, ending wars, or stopping wasteful government spending.
Wasteful and Undisclosed Spending: War is expensive. The estimated total cost of operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria is nearly $5 trillion. Experts estimate another $2.5 trillion will need to be spent to care for these veterans through 2050. While Americans struggle with housing and healthcare, communities in California are burning down, infrastructure is aging, and schools are struggling to meet the needs of students, the Trump Administration is wasting taxpayer money on drone strikes and naval blockades that do nothing to make our country safer. The potential cost of a conflict with Venezuela, including the migration crisis it would undoubtedly trigger, would cost taxpayers even more. The financial burden says nothing about the dead and injured, the many combat veterans who have taken their lives after returning home, the mental and physical challenges many veterans face, or the sacrifices of our military families.
Undermining Diplomatic Solutions: Diplomacy is inexpensive compared to the cost of war. In the recently released National Security Strategy 2025, the Trump Administration has clearly defined its goals of dominating Latin American countries. In doing so, the Administration has chosen military escalation over diplomacy. Trump authorized and then publicly announced CIA covert operations inside Venezuela. The massive military buildup, the largest U.S. Caribbean deployment since the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the recently announced blockades has made diplomacy much more difficult. American strength comes through our international partnerships and our ability to diffuse conflicts, not unilateral military force that may escalate into wider conflict.
Wars are declared by Congress who are representatives of the people, and the Trump Administration's actions must be justified to Congress and the American people. Once again, the Trump administration's policy demonstrates dangerous disregard for America’s military service members, our national security, taxpayers, and the Constitution. I urge an immediate halt to all illegal military strikes, deescalation of military force, removal of the U.S. blockade full disclosure of costs and evidence, comprehensive review of sanctions to prevent humanitarian harm, and renewed commitment to multilateral diplomatic efforts that respect both international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.
