Indian-American lawmakers strongly criticise Trump’s actions in Venezuela

New York: Several Indian-American lawmakers strongly criticised Donald Trump's decision to send the country's military to Venezuela and capture President Nicolas Maduro, saying the US President abused presidential power and is drawing America into another "open-ended conflict".

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said that while Maduro is an “illegitimate dictator” who has inflicted immense suffering on the Venezuelan people, that reality does not give any president a blank check to use military force without Congress. “By acting without congressional authorisation and publicly asserting US control over another sovereign nation, President Trump is abusing presidential power and undermining the Constitution’s separation of powers,” Krishnamoorthi said.

He said the Trump Administration must immediately account for the safety of US personnel, disclose whether there were any casualties, and fully and immediately brief Congress. “The President has now stated that the United States will run Venezuela, committing the country to open-ended responsibility. Neither the American people nor Congress approved that course.

"This use of force and claimed control erode the rule of law, embolden Moscow and Beijing to push boundaries elsewhere, weaken America’s credibility, and ultimately make Americans less safe,” Krishnamoorthi said.

Congressman Ro Khanna said Trump betrayed his MAGA (Make America Great Again) base by launching a “war of choice” to bring regime change in Venezuela.

“What will we say now if (Chinese President) Xi Jinping wants to capture (President Lai Ching-te) Lai of Taiwan or (Russian President Vladimir) Putin tries to capture (President) Volodymyr Zelensky in Ukraine?” Khanna said.

“We keep voting against dumb wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, & Libya. But our Presidents bow to a foreign policy blob committed to militarism. They get us entangled in conflicts abroad, while ignoring the lack of good jobs and high costs for Americans at home.” Khanna underlined that the times call for a movement of the American people to stand against bloated defence budgets and warmongering.

“We need statesmen who will heed the advice of Washington and our founders and invest in jobs, healthcare, childcare and education for our people.” Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal slammed the development, saying Trump can't run America, “but now he wants to run Venezuela." "Congress alone has the power to authorise war. This is unconstitutional, illegal, and not what the American people want.” She said the fact that Maduro is an illegitimate dictator does not give Trump and his administration the authority to invade Venezuela, kidnap him in the middle of the night, and force regime change - something the US has tried and failed to do many times over.

“This was an illegal and unconstitutional attack, undertaken by Trump without any authorisation from Congress, and with no plan for the future,” Jayapal said.

She stressed that if this were truly about stopping drug trafficking, Trump would not have recently pardoned the former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who had been sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking scheme that smuggled 400 tonnes of cocaine into the US.

"Congress alone has the power to authorise war. Republicans need to step up to do their Constitutional duty and join Democrats in ensuring that Congress reasserts our authority. The implications otherwise are dire: any rogue leader of any country can decide who they want to take out at any time,” she said.

"The American people have said over and over again that they do not want another war. Trump lied to the American people when he said he would get us out of endless wars and instead would focus on making life affordable for Americans. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"This is once again about oil, power, and greed - not bettering the lives of Americans or leading the world towards diplomacy and peace,” she said, underlining that Congress must intervene before Trump's actions further destabilise the region.

US Representative Ami Bera, a senior Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said the decision to launch military strikes without congressional input, support, or authorisation is deeply concerning and illegal.

“Trump has failed to present a clear and credible strategy for governance or democratic transition in Venezuela. He is drawing our nation into another open-ended conflict and risking a repeat of failed nation-building efforts,” Bera said, adding that the Administration must brief Congress immediately.

While describing Maduro as an illegitimate leader who has inflicted hardship on the people of Venezuela, Bera said he hopes this moment will lead to a real democratic transition driven by the Venezuelan people.

Congressman Shri Thanedar said only Congress has the ability to declare war.

"Trump's actions were totally unconstitutional and unacceptable. The American people want us to focus on making life more affordable for them, not starting new wars,” Thanedar said.