Some members of Congress are up in arms over a briefing by a senior administration lawyer who reportedly told them that the Trump administration had no intention of adhering to the War Powers Resolution regarding the ongoing interdiction campaign against Venezuelan drug cartels.
According to the Washington Post, T. Elliot Gaiser, head of the Trump administration’s Office of Legal Counsel, stated that the administration did not believe the strikes met the legal definition of hostilities under the War Powers Resolution. Consequently, they did not intend to seek an extension of the deadline nor Congress’s approval of the ongoing action.
This announcement caused quite a stir.
“The administration appears to be blowing through the 60-day limit,” said Brian Finucane, a senior congressional aide, former legal adviser to the State Department, and now senior adviser for the U.S. program at the International Crisis Group. “It’s a wild claim of executive authority.”
Virginia Senator Mark R. Warner, the ranking member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed sharp criticism: “In any normal administration, somebody would be fired for this kind of abuse.”
New York Representative Gregory W. Meeks, ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, accused the administration of sidestepping Congress. “The administration is, I believe, doing an illegal act and anything that it can to avoid Congress,” he said.
Massachusetts Democrat Seth Moulton took an even sterner tone, warning Rear Admiral Brian Bennett, the Navy’s Deputy Director for Special Warfare: “The last word that I gave to the admiral is I hope you recognize the constitutional peril that you are in, and the peril you are putting our troops in.”
Not to be outdone, some Republicans chimed in.
Senator Roger Wicker commented succinctly: “Don’t get in the drug boat, and you may see another day. Simple.”
Among online commenters, opinions were equally pointed. User alstewartfan quipped, “The Beltway bureaucrats love their cocaine. Here’s an idea to slip into future funding bills: DRUG TESTING each person collecting a federal paycheck before they can return to work. Use a lock of hair for accurate results. Watch the entire DC Beltway shave their heads while they rush to file injunction orders.”
Another user, blackdog, added some music-themed commentary: “Diggin’ the scene with a gangster lean.”
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