Alabama’s Congressional Delegation Responds to Venezuela

Alabama’s Representatives in the U.S. House took to social media on Saturday to respond to the military operation carried out in Venezuela at the President;s orders.

Unsurprisingly, the responses unerringly follow party lines, with Republicans strongly supporting President Trump.

Barry Moore (R-AL1) said:

“President Trump is sending message to all drug traffickers and criminals who harm American citizens:

“There is no where safe for you to hide, no matter who you are. The United States will find you and you will face the consequences of your actions.”

Shomari Figures (D-AL2) posted:

“Donald Trump has seemed hell bent on starting a war since he returned to office. Acting without congressional authorization and stating the U.S. will “run” Venezuela puts American troops at risk and ignores the hard lessons of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam.

“America should never invade and occupy another country without Congressional approval. This runs the risk of putting American troops in another endless war abroad, with no clear objective or timeline.

“Congress needs to address this matter immediately upon our return next week.“

Mike Rogers (R-AL3), in his capacity as Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said:

Chair @RepMikeRogersAL: “I commend President Trump for taking decisive action to bring Nicolás Maduro to justice. His illegitimate regime brutalized the Venezuelan people, aligned with hostile adversaries like Cuba, Iran, Russia, and China to threaten U.S. security, and operated a narco-terrorist network that flooded our country with deadly drugs that killed countless Americans. I am grateful to the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who once again demonstrated the exceptional skill and capability of the U.S. military.”

Robert Aderholt (R-AL4) opined that:

“Nicolás Maduro has faced narco-terrorism charges in the United States for half a decade now, and it’s time he face those charges head-on in a U.S. courtroom. I applaud President Trump for carrying out his duties to ensure Maduro and his wife are brought to justice. Anyone who kills thousands of American lives as Maduro has done, should be held accountable.”

Dale Strong (R-AL5) said:

“President Trump took decisive action to hold Nicolás Maduro accountable for running a narco-terrorist network that flooded our country with deadly drugs and cost countless American lives. By stopping the flow of drugs and criminal illegals into the United States, he is putting America first and strengthening our national security. I’m grateful to the service members who made this possible — and let this serve as a clear warning to anyone who threatens the United States.”

Gary Palmer (R-AL6) said:

“Our communities have been plagued by Venezuelan drugs for far too long. I applaud President Trump and his administration for taking action to take the brutal narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro into U.S. custody.

“Thank you to the brave men and women in our Armed Forces that demonstrated the exceptional skill and strength of the U.S. military by executing this mission.“

And Terri Sewell (D-AL7), who has consistently opposed President Trump, said:

"There is no doubt that Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate and corrupt leader, but President Trump does NOT have the authority to unilaterally invade a sovereign country, capture its leader, and haul them back to the United States. His reckless actions threaten to further destabilize the region and put our troops in harm's way while dragging us into another regime-change war against the will of the American people. The fact that he did so without even briefing Congress, let alone seeking congressional approval-as required by the Constitution-is extremely alarming and sets a dangerous precedent.

The Trump Administration must immediately explain to Congress and the American people why such an attack was justified and how it plans to ensure stability in the region."

The President addressed the nation Saturday morning to explain the military operation and the planned next steps for the South American nation. That press conference may be seen on the White House YouTube channel at THIS LINK.