Members of Congress will soon receive a classified briefing from multiple Trump administration officials on the U.S. military’s recent mission in Venezuela, according to multiple reports.
Punchbowl News reported that chairs and ranking members of the Senate Foreign Relations, Senate Armed Services, House Foreign Affairs, and House Armed Services committees, as well as the so-called Gang of Eight, will all be briefed on Monday at 5:30 p.m.
Leading the briefing are key Cabinet members at the face of Operation Absolute Resolve, the U.S. military operation that led to strikes on sites in Caracas and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia. Those officials include Secretary of State Marco Rubio, War Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan ‘Raizin’ Caine.
The classified briefing comes as Congress was left in the dark about the mission, which took place overnight on Saturday.
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While not unprecedented, the silence has nonetheless led to scrutiny from House and Senate Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), for his part, claimed the administration violated the War Powers Act by not notifying Congress, vowing to bring a resolution to the floor that blocks future U.S. military action in Venezuela without congressional approval.
President Donald Trump has defended his decision not to notify Congress ahead of the mission by saying lawmakers likely would have leaked the top-secret operation, imperiling it and putting soldiers’ lives in danger.