Maine's congressional delegation agreed Saturday that President Trump should have consulted Congress before sending the military into Venezuela. But the four lawmakers differed in how they viewed the operation to remove Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Democratic Congresswoman Chellie Pingree, who represents the 1st District, described Trump's decision to apprehend Maduro a "breathtaking abuse of power (and) a flagrant violation of the Constitution and international law" that undermines international norms.
Pingree also called Maduro a ruthless dictator deserving of international condemnation.
"But the President (Trump) does not have the authority to carry out military or paramilitary actions, seize foreign leaders, or pursue regime change without the explicit authorization of Congress," Pingree said in a statement. "No such authorization was sought or granted. Bypassing Congress in this way is a direct violation of the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution, and it sets a deeply alarming precedent for unchecked executive power in matters of war and peace. This reckless move risks destabilizing an already fragile region, puts millions of civilians at risk, and further isolates us from our friends and allies."
Rep. Jared Golden, D-District 2, said he was not "shedding any tears" for Maduro, who he called an adversary to the U.S.
"But the constitution delegates war powers to Congress and this kind of action should not have happened without consultation of the people's representatives," Golden, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. "President Trump now says the United States will 'run' Venezuela on an indefinite timeline and alluded to the handover of Venezuelan oil assets to American corporations. Given what we have seen from this administration, my fear is this scenario could easily devolve into quagmire and corruption."
Republican Sen. Susan Collins was the least critical of the Trump administration's actions. Collins, who was briefed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday, said Congress should have been consulted and "needs to be involved as this situation evolves." But she said Maduro should stand trial in the U.S.
"Maduro was a ruthless dictator who was not considered to be the legitimate leader of Venezuela by both the Biden and Trump administrations as well as by the European Union," Collins said in a statement. "The long-term success of today’s operation will depend on our ability to work with international and private sector partners.”
Independent Sen. Angus King also called Maduro a dictator and an "illegitimate leader," in reference to the 2024 Venezuelan elections that U.S. officials and other international observers say was won by an opposition candidate. But King, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, added that "doing the right thing can only be truly effective if you do it the right way."
“Further, when the United States takes an action like this and baldly asserts the right to 'run the country,' it invites similar acts of aggression by unfriendly regimes like China, North Korea, or Russia and robs us of the protections of the rules and norms of responsible international behavior," King said in a statement. "The Constitution lays out very clearly that Congress has the power to declare war. I know Congress has abdicated many of its powers in recent years, but I hope and plan on trying to return those fundamental duties back to the legislative branch as the founders designed."
Both King and Collins also serve on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
