Markey says Democrats still awaiting briefing as questions grow over Venezuela operation

BOSTON — Many Democratic lawmakers say they are still waiting for a formal briefing on the U.S. operation in Venezuela.

On Tuesday, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey told Boston 25’s Kerry Kavanaugh he has not had any direct communication with the administration and has sent a letter to the President demanding answers about what happened before the operation and what comes next.

Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey says he has not had any direct communication from the administration and has sent a letter to the president demanding answers about what happened before the operation and what comes next.

Kavanaugh asked “Have you yet had a conversation directly with any member of the administration or received any direct communication from the administration about what unfolded in Venezuela?”

“No, the Republicans are not briefing Democrats at this point in time,” Markey said.

“The ordinary course of business would have been immediately after an invasion like this of another country that there was, in fact, a briefing that was given to all members. The President talked to Republican members of Congress this morning, but the Democrats have yet to get a briefing that all members are invited to. My hope is that that will occur tomorrow (Wednesday), but it’s all part and parcel of this attitude which the Trump administration has that they can’t trust the Congress.”

Kavanaugh also asked whether there was a strategic upside to removing Venezuela’s leader, saying, “Is there no benefit to the United States to removing a dictator who had relationships with China and Russia?”

“Maduro was a bad guy, but you cannot use unconstitutional means in order to accomplish those goals,” Markey said.

“There was a responsibility to notify Congress. There was responsibility to ensure that the President was complying with all of the protections which the Constitution created. And moreover, there was also a responsibility to make sure the entire agenda was laid out so that all of the American people could understand what was being undertaken on their behalf.”

Turning to Markey’s letter to the president, Kavanaugh asked, “Talk to me about the letter that you sent to the President yesterday.”

“I’m look for answers to the question of, what did the oil companies know? And when did they know it?” Markey said.

“When did the president decide that this was going to be about occupying Venezuela on behalf of the oil industry of the United States of America? How long are we planning to stay? President Trump is now saying it could be indefinitely. And what is the plan?”

Kavanaugh then pressed Markey on whether he expects a response by his January 20 deadline, asking, “So you sent this long list of questions to the president with the deadline of January 20th. Do you think you’re going to get a response?”

“Honestly, the Trump administration has a responsibility to answer to Congress, but as they’ve been saying over the entirety of the weekend, they don’t trust Congress,” Markey said.

“And so all I can say is I’m going to every single day make them accountable for what they are doing on behalf of our country.”

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro remains in custody in New York. On Monday, he and his wife pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges following their capture during a U.S. military operation.

President Trump is now suggesting he could expand military operations into Colombia.

House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the President’s actions Monday night, saying they were authorized under the Constitution.

“My appreciation of this entire thing is it was completely authorized by law,” Johnson said.

“It’s well within Article 2. And now we’re getting our Article One briefing exactly on the timetable.”

Johnson also rejected claims the United States is engaged in a broader conflict.

“We are not at war. We do not have U.S. armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan military says at least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed during the operation to capture Maduro.

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has been sworn in as Venezuela’s acting president. Rodriguez, a Maduro loyalist, has pledged to work with the United States.

Markey is facing a primary challenge from Rep. Seth Moulton. A separate one-on-one interview with Moulton aired Monday and is available here

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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