Trump Action Archive

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• Sen. Ron Johnson expressed hope Trump's threat was bluster — Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) appeared on CNN and stated "I am hoping and praying that this really is bluster. I do not want to see us start blowing up civilian infrastructure. I do not want to see that. We are not at war with the Iranian people. We are trying to liberate them," expressing concern about civilian casualties while stopping short of opposing the action.

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• Senate Republicans propose DHS funding compromise excluding immigration reforms — Senate Majority Leader John Thune announced a Republican compromise proposal to restart DHS funding that would partially fund ICE and Customs and Border Protection but excludes the immigration enforcement reforms Democrats have demanded. Democrats had insisted on guardrails following federal agents' killing of two US citizens in Minneapolis. Thune stated Democrats were "not interested in reforms" and made any future reform discussion contingent on funding ICE. The proposal emerged after a White House meeting where Trump initially demanded Democratic support for the Save America voter ID act before any deal, but later appeared to back down from that condition.
• Senate Democrats block Republican DHS funding proposal; standoff continues over immigration enforcement reforms — Senate Republicans proposed legislation to restart Department of Homeland Security operations while excluding Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportation operations. Senate Democrats, led by Chuck Schumer, rejected the proposal and countered with a measure coupling DHS funding to new guardrails on immigration enforcement, citing deaths of two US citizens at the hands of federal agents. The GOP rejected the Democratic counteroffer. The partial government shutdown, which began in mid-February, persists, causing TSA staffing shortages and airport congestion. Republicans signaled plans for a reconciliation bill to fund ICE operations and Trump's military campaign against Iran.
• Senate Republicans announce plans for second reconciliation bill including Iran war funding and voter ID requirements — Senate Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham announced that Senate Republicans would begin work on a second reconciliation bill to fund components of ICE excluded from ongoing DHS negotiations, Trump's military campaign against Iran (potentially $200 billion), and portions of the Save America Act imposing new voter identification requirements. Democratic Senator Tim Kaine reported that a classified briefing discussed $200 billion in Iran war funding, though the Pentagon has not made a formal request. Republican Senator Mike Lee acknowledged that the Save America Act cannot pass through reconciliation due to procedural constraints.
• House Republicans reject Senate DHS funding bill, demand ICE funding inclusion — The Republican-controlled House rejected a Senate-passed bill that would have funded most Department of Homeland Security agencies (TSA, Coast Guard, FEMA, CISA) while withholding funds from ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced instead a short-term continuing resolution through May 22, backed by Trump. The move prolongs a 42-day partial shutdown affecting thousands of DHS employees and airport security operations. Senate Democrats declared the House proposal "dead on arrival," blocking a path to the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
• Senate fails seventh time to advance DHS funding bill — The US Senate voted 53-47 to reject a Republican-drafted bill to partially fund the Department of Homeland Security, which has been shut down for nearly six weeks. The vote fell short of the 60 needed to advance. Hours earlier, Trump announced he would sign an executive order directing DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to immediately pay TSA agents during the shutdown. Democrats demanded stronger guardrails on immigration enforcement; Republicans sought to fund most DHS agencies while withholding ICE enforcement money. Senate Majority Leader John Thune filed a motion to reconsider.
• Senate Republicans plan reconciliation bill for ICE and voter integrity funding — Senate Republicans, led by Budget Committee Chair Lindsey Graham, announced plans to advance ICE funding, military funding, and voter integrity measures through budget reconciliation, which requires only a simple Senate majority rather than the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster. Graham stated he would "proceed quickly and efficiently" to make these measures "Democrat-resistance proof," signaling intent to bypass normal legislative processes and Democratic input on immigration enforcement and election administration.
• Trump requests congressional ban on state-issued driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants — At the State of the Union address, President Trump asked lawmakers to ban states from granting new driving licenses to immigrants in the country illegally. This legislative request seeks to expand federal restrictions beyond commercial licenses to all state-issued driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants, further limiting mobility and work capacity.
• House Republicans rejected Senate-passed DHS funding deal, blocking vote and extending shutdown — House Republicans rejected a Department of Homeland Security funding deal passed by the Senate on March 26, 2026, and announced plans to pass their own alternative. Senate Majority Leader John Thune had recessed the Senate for two weeks, making immediate reconciliation impossible. House Speaker Mike Johnson held an emergency conference call with members and pitched a clean 60-day continuing resolution that would fund all of DHS, including ICE and CBP. Senate Democrats stated they would not support the House Republican alternative, and any House-passed bill would face a filibuster upon return to the Senate. The shutdown continued indefinitely as a result.
• Senate Democrats and House Democrats prepared to support DHS funding deal; House Republicans blocked passage — Senate Democrats voted for the DHS funding deal on March 26, 2026, and House Democrats were prepared to vote for it on March 27. House Republicans rejected the bill, preventing its passage and extending the shutdown. Democratic leaders stated that House Republicans were solely responsible for the continuation of the shutdown.
• Senate Majority Leader John Thune recessed Senate for two weeks without coordination with House leadership — Senate Majority Leader John Thune recessed the Senate for two weeks on March 26, 2026, without communicating with House leadership about the timing or the DHS funding deal. During an emergency conference call, Speaker Mike Johnson told members that "The Senate went dark and did not communicate with us." House GOP leaders expressed fury at Thune's maneuver and stated they did not want to put the Senate bill on the floor.
• Senate passes DHS funding deal; House Republicans reject it — The Senate passed a Department of Homeland Security funding deal at approximately 2 a.m. However, House Republicans rejected the agreement. Senators had already left town for recess, leaving the House to unilaterally reject the bipartisan Senate compromise.

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• Senate Republicans block war-powers resolution limiting Trump's Iran military authority — The US Senate voted 53-47 to block a Democratic resolution that would have forced debate and congressional authorization for Trump's military campaign against Iran. Led by Senator Cory Booker, Democrats sought to reassert constitutional war-powers authority after Operation Epic Fury strikes killed over 1,300 Iranians and hundreds of Lebanese civilians. Only Republican Rand Paul crossed party lines to support the measure; Democrat John Fetterman voted against it. Booker vowed to reintroduce similar resolutions repeatedly.

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• Rep. Khanna stated he will vote against supplemental military funding — Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) stated on Fox that when supplemental military funding comes before him, he will vote "absolutely not." Khanna's position aligns with other Democratic opposition to additional war funding.

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• Sen. Schiff refused to vote for additional military funding — Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) stated on NBC that he would not vote for additional military funding during the conflict. Schiff noted that the military already has all the funding it needs and that the $11 billion spent in the first few days could have been used for hospitals and schools. Schiff also stated that the U.S. is giving Russia $140 million per day by releasing sanctions while Russia provides intelligence to Iran to attack American troops.

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• Administration officials conducted classified briefing on Iran war to Senate Armed Services Committee — Administration officials provided a classified briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee regarding ongoing military operations in Iran. Democratic senators emerged expressing significant frustration with the lack of transparency and unanswered questions about war costs, troop deployment risks, foreign adversary involvement, and strategic objectives. Senators called for declassification of information to enable public and constituent communication about the conflict.
• Senator Blumenthal expressed dissatisfaction with Iran war briefing and demanded transparency — Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) told reporters he was deeply dissatisfied with the classified briefing, stating he had more questions than answers, particularly regarding war costs. He expressed concern about potential ground troop deployment in Iran, Russian and Chinese military aid to Iran, and characterized the conflict as a "war of choice" made by the president without American public consent, demanding the administration provide answers to the American people.
• Senator Murphy criticized administration's lack of war strategy — Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) posted on social media that the administration appears to have no objectives for the war beyond continued bombing and no plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, indicating a lack of coherent strategic planning for military operations.
• Senator Rosen called for declassification of Iran war information — Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) expressed frustration that the administration restricts war information to classified briefings, preventing elected officials from communicating with constituents about the conflict. She asserted that Trump uses the word "war" publicly while the administration avoids formal war declaration, and called on Trump to seek congressional authorization and public debate before further escalation. She stated the administration has provided no post-conflict plan.
• Senator Blumenthal warned of potential ground troop deployment and Russian aid to Iran — Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), after receiving an intelligence briefing on Iran, stated that the U.S. appears to be on a path toward deploying American troops on the ground in Iran. He also warned of the specter of active Russian aid to Iran and potential Chinese assistance, both of which could endanger American lives.

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• Democratic senators file War Powers Act resolutions demanding congressional authorization for Iran military operations — Five Democratic senators (Booker, Kaine, Schiff, Baldwin, Murphy) filed resolutions under the War Powers Act on March 7–8, 2026, requiring US military withdrawal from Iran unless Congress votes to authorize the conflict. The resolutions follow GOP-controlled chambers blocking similar measures the prior week. Democrats are leveraging the filings to pressure Senate Majority Leader John Thune to convene public hearings with Defense Secretary Hegseth and Secretary of State Rubio, or face forced votes on the resolutions within weeks. Polls show 56% public disapproval of the war.

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• House rejects war powers resolution on Iran conflict — The US House of Representatives voted 212–219 to reject a bipartisan war powers resolution that would have forced withdrawal of US troops from hostilities with Iran pending congressional authorization. The measure, proposed by Republican Thomas Massie and Democrat Ro Khanna, failed largely along party lines, with two Republicans and four Democrats crossing over. The vote came after the Senate GOP rejected a similar resolution on Wednesday. The underlying conflict, initiated by the Trump administration without formal congressional authorization, has killed six US troops and over 1,200 people in Iran.

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• Senate votes down war powers resolution to prevent Trump from continuing Iran conflict — The Senate voted 47-53 to reject a war powers resolution introduced by Senator Tim Kaine that would have required President Trump to obtain Congressional approval before continuing military operations against Iran. The measure broke largely along party lines, with only one Democrat (John Fetterman) voting against it and one Republican (Rand Paul) supporting it. The resolution would have forced an end to ongoing US air and naval campaigns and required Congressional authorization for any resumption of hostilities. Six US service members and an estimated 1,045–1,500 Iranian civilians have died since the conflict began.
• Senate Republicans block war powers resolution on Iran conflict — Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic-backed war powers resolution on Wednesday that would have required congressional approval for continued U.S. military operations against Iran. House Republicans voted down an identical measure the following day. President Trump launched air and naval operations against Iran without seeking congressional authorization, and Republican leaders stated the president possessed sufficient constitutional authority to conduct the campaign independently. The conflict has killed six U.S. service members and over 1,200 Iranian civilians, with estimated costs of $3.7 billion in the first 100 hours.
• — Senate Republicans refused to pass a war powers resolution to end or limit the military campaign against Iran. Some senators expressed concern about the lack of planning and clear objectives, but others argued that supporting the troops required backing the war regardless of how it began. The war remains unpopular with the American public, with only 34 percent supporting the attack on Iran.

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• Pentagon briefers tell Congress Iran had no plan to attack U.S. unless Israel struck first — Briefers from the Pentagon told congressional staff that Iran had not been planning to attack U.S. forces or bases in the Middle East unless Israel attacked first. This contradicted Trump administration claims made on Saturday that Iran was planning to strike the U.S. preemptively and posed an imminent threat. The Pentagon briefers stated there was no intelligence to support the administration's imminent-threat claim.
• Pentagon admitted no intelligence supported imminent Iranian threat — During closed-door congressional briefings on March 1, 2026, the Pentagon disclosed that it possessed no intelligence indicating Iran was planning to attack U.S. forces first. This admission directly contradicted Trump's public justification for the military campaign. Trump separately told the New York Times the war could last "four to five weeks" and acknowledged there would "likely be more" deaths of U.S. troops before it concludes.

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• Senate Democrats advance resolution halting Venezuela military action without congressional authorization — Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer announced that the chamber voted to advance a resolution halting further attacks on Venezuela without congressional permission. The move reflects Democratic messaging that Republicans under Trump prioritize military adventurism overseas while Democrats focus on affordability and domestic costs. The resolution represents a legislative effort to reassert congressional oversight over executive military decisions.
• Republican-controlled Senate voted against war powers resolution on Venezuela — The Republican-controlled Senate voted against a war powers resolution designed to limit Trump's ability to conduct further strikes on Venezuela after two Republican senators who joined with Democrats the previous week to advance the resolution flipped under pressure from Trump.
• US Senate defeats war powers resolution limiting Trump military action in Venezuela — The US Senate voted 50-50 on a war powers resolution that would have required President Trump to seek congressional authorization before taking further military action against Venezuela. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote to kill the resolution. Republican senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young, who had initially supported the measure, flipped their votes after receiving assurances from the Trump administration that no US troops remained in Venezuela and that Trump would seek congressional approval for any major military operations.

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• Nicolás Maduro entered not guilty plea in court — Nicolás Maduro, the former president of Venezuela, entered a not guilty plea in court, stating "I'm innocent. I'm a decent man. I'm the President of Venezuela. I consider myself a prisoner of war. I was captured at my home in Caracas."
• Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty in federal court — Nicolás Maduro appeared in federal court and pleaded not guilty to charges, telling the judge, "I am a decent man, the president of my country." The appearance followed his forcible seizure and removal from Venezuela by U.S. military forces.
• Maduro arraigned in Manhattan federal court on drug and narco-terrorism charges — Nicolás Maduro appeared before federal judge Alvin Hellerstein in Manhattan on Monday for arraignment on four federal criminal counts including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Maduro, who was first indicted in 2020, pleaded not guilty and claimed he remained the legitimate president of Venezuela and was being held as a prisoner of war. His wife Cilia Flores also pleaded not guilty to related charges.
• Nicolás Maduro arraigned in Manhattan federal court on narco-terrorism charges following US military capture in Caracas — Nicolás Maduro, Venezuelan president, was captured in Caracas on January 3 and arraigned in Manhattan federal court on January 6 on narco-terrorism charges brought by the Trump Justice Department. Maduro entered a not guilty plea while making defiant statements about his legitimacy and characterizing his capture as a kidnapping. His wife, Cilia Flores, also appeared and pleaded not guilty. Judge Alvin Hellerstein scheduled a case conference for March 17. Neither defendant requested bail at this stage but reserved the right to do so later.
• Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in US court after capture — Nicolás Maduro, the deposed president of Venezuela, pleaded not guilty to charges of drugs, weapons, and "narco-terrorism" in a US federal court in Manhattan. His capture was part of a US special forces operation ordered by Donald Trump, which has been condemned by several countries as a "crime of aggression." The operation has raised concerns about breaches of international law and has led to an emergency UN Security Council meeting. Maduro's arraignment follows his indictment in 2020 for drug trafficking-related charges.
• Judge orders Trump-appointed US attorney to defend unlawful title use despite prior ruling of invalidity — Federal judge David Novak ordered Lindsey Halligan, a Trump-installed lawyer with no prosecutorial experience, to explain within seven days why she continues to represent herself as US attorney for the eastern district of Virginia after another judge (Cameron McGowan Currie) ruled her appointment unlawful in November. Halligan was appointed to prosecute political opponents James Comey and Letitia James; both cases were dismissed. Novak's order notes that Currie's ruling remains binding precedent and that Halligan's continued use of the title may constitute professional misconduct and false statements.

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• Raskin and Lieu demand investigation into Caribbean double-tap strike — Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) sent a letter to the Justice Department demanding an investigation into a September 2 double-tap strike in the Caribbean that killed two survivors. The lawmakers argued that the order to conduct the strike constituted either a war crime or premeditated murder, stating that "the killing of unarmed, helpless men clinging to wreckage in open water is simply murder."

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• House Judiciary Committee expands investigation into Jack Smith — CNN reported that the Republican-led House Judiciary Committee is expanding its investigation into former Special Counsel Jack Smith by demanding interviews with four current and former Justice Department officials involved in subpoenaing phone records for several members of Congress around the January 6 insurrection.
• Jack Smith testifies to House Judiciary Committee on federal prosecutions of Trump — Former special counsel Jack Smith testified in a closed-door deposition before the House Judiciary Committee on December 17, 2025, defending his federal cases against Donald Trump for classified-documents possession and election interference. Smith stated he had "proof beyond reasonable doubt" in both cases, denied any political motivation or interference from President Biden or Attorney General Merrick Garland, and warned that unpunished election meddling would become "the new norm" with "catastrophic" consequences for democracy. The testimony transcript was released on December 31, 2025.
• Jack Smith testified before House Judiciary Committee on Trump's 2020 election overturn scheme — Former special counsel Jack Smith testified behind closed doors before the House Judiciary Committee regarding his investigation into Trump's attempt to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. According to Smith's opening statement obtained by NBC News, Smith stated he and his team found "proof beyond a reasonable doubt" that Trump engaged in a "criminal scheme" to overturn the election. Smith testified that phone records of nine congressional Republicans were "lawfully subpoenaed and were relevant to complete a comprehensive" investigation, and that Trump and his associates "tried to call Members of Congress in furtherance of their criminal scheme, urging them to further delay certification of the 2020 election." Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) had subpoenaed Smith and rejected his offer to testify publicly.
• Representative Ocasio-Cortez criticizes intelligence briefing as inadequate — Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) called the briefing "a joke," stating that no intelligence shared rose to the level of briefings on Ukraine or China, and characterized it as "a communication of an opinion" rather than a serious intelligence briefing.
• Senator Andy Kim states Trump's blockade contradicts military briefing — Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) noted that Trump's threatened military action directly contradicts what Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth told Senate colleagues that day about the mission and goals of operations in the Caribbean. Kim called it a dangerous escalation and stated the administration must come before Congress for public hearings to explain why they are risking pulling the nation into another forever war.
• Senator Chris Murphy states administration lacks legal justification for strikes — After the briefing, Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) stated that the administration had no legal justification for the strikes and no national security justification. He noted that officers admitted the drugs transiting Venezuela were primarily cocaine headed for Europe, not fentanyl as the administration had suggested.
• Senator Schumer states administration came to briefing "empty handed" — Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) said after the briefing that the administration came "empty handed" and questioned how senators could trust the administration's transparency on other Caribbean issues if they could not be transparent on the strikes. He stated that every senator was entitled to see the video.
• Special Counsel Jack Smith offered to testify publicly before Congress without time limits; Republicans declined and opted for closed-door deposition instead. — Special Counsel Jack Smith offered to testify publicly before Congress without time limits to answer questions about investigations into Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his retention of classified documents. Republicans declined the public testimony offer and instead opted for a closed-door deposition while continuing to attack Smith on partisan media outlets. Smith's opening statement established that Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the election and obstruct the lawful transfer of power, and willfully retained highly classified documents in unsecured locations.
• Jack Smith tells House Judiciary Committee Trump engaged in criminal scheme — Former Special Counsel Jack Smith told lawmakers during a closed-door hearing before the House Judiciary Committee that his team "developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt" that Trump "engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power." He also said he would prosecute a former president again "based on the same facts today," no matter which party the president belongs to.
• Jack Smith testified under oath about Trump's criminal conduct in 2020 election and classified documents — On December 17, 2025, former Special Counsel Jack Smith testified under oath in a closed-door hearing before the House Judiciary Committee. Smith stated that his office had "developed proof beyond a reasonable doubt that President Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 election and to prevent the lawful transfer of power" and had developed "powerful evidence" that Trump "willfully retained highly classified documents after he left office in January of 2021, storing them at his social club, including in a ballroom and a bathroom," and "repeatedly tried to obstruct justice to conceal his continued retention of those documents."
• House Judiciary members announced legal action against DOJ over Epstein files — Ranking members Robert Garcia and Jamie Raskin issued a joint statement announcing they are examining all legal options to compel the DOJ to comply with the federal law requiring full release of Epstein documents. They stated that survivors deserve justice, co-conspirators must be held accountable, and the American people deserve complete transparency.
• Jack Smith requested public hearing before House Judiciary Committee — Attorneys for former Special Counsel Jack Smith requested a public hearing before the House Judiciary Committee to defend his prosecutorial decisions against Republican attacks. Smith had previously testified in a closed-door deposition spanning over 8 hours. His attorneys also requested release of the full videotape of his testimony so he could speak directly to the public rather than through second-hand accounts.
• Court Filing Claims Discrimination in Federal Grant Distribution — Lawyers for the government filed a court document asserting that it is legal to distribute federal funds only to Republican-led states, withholding them from Democratic-led states. This admission suggests a discriminatory policy based on political affiliation, which the government claims is constitutionally permissible.
• Jack Smith Testifies on Trump's Criminal Scheme to Overturn Election — Special counsel Jack Smith testified before the House Judiciary Committee, presenting evidence that Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 presidential election results. Smith's testimony included details about phone records of congressional Republicans related to the investigation.

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• Senate Armed Services Committee announces investigation into Caribbean boat strikes — Senators Roger Wicker (R) and Jack Reed (D) released a joint statement announcing that the Senate Armed Services Committee would conduct "vigorous oversight" into alleged follow-on strikes on suspected narcotics vessels in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility. The committee directed inquiries to the Department of Defense to determine facts surrounding the circumstances of the strikes, which have killed over 80 people.
• House Armed Services Committee announced bipartisan investigation into Caribbean strikes — House Armed Services Committee leaders Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Adam Smith (D-WA) announced they are taking bipartisan action to gather a full accounting of the military operation in question and committed to providing rigorous oversight of DOD's military operations in the Caribbean.
• Senate Armed Services Committee announced investigation into Hegseth's alleged strike orders — Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker (R-MS) and ranking member Jack Reed (D-RI) issued a joint statement announcing that the committee is aware of reports regarding alleged follow-on strikes on suspected narcotics vessels and has directed inquiries to the Department of Defense, committing to vigorous oversight to determine the facts.
• House Armed Services Committee chair vowed oversight of boat strikes — Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, publicly vowed to conduct oversight not just of the September 2 strike but of the entire operation involving attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. Rogers stated there are "very serious concerns in Congress about the attacks on the so-called drug boats" and that the operation was "completely outside of anything that's been discussed with Congress."
• Senate Armed Services Committee chair vowed oversight of boat strikes — Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, publicly vowed to conduct oversight of the September 2 boat strike and the entire operation involving attacks on boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. The bipartisan concern reflects alarm about military operations conducted without congressional knowledge or authorization.
• Congressional committees announced investigations into September 2 boat strike. — Both Republican and Democratic congressional committees announced investigations into the September 2, 2025 boat strike in the Caribbean in which Defense Secretary Hegseth allegedly ordered the killing of all occupants and Admiral Bradley ordered a second strike on survivors. The investigations represent bipartisan concern about the legality and circumstances of the operation.
• Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker opened an inquiry into the September 2 military strike operation. — Senator Roger Wicker, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, stated that he had spoken with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chair General Dan Caine, and expected to speak with Admiral Mitch Bradley. Wicker's committee opened an inquiry into the September 2 operation and is seeking video and audio recordings of the strikes. Wicker stated that once those materials are received, he will decide how to proceed, saying "We're going to find out what the true facts are."
• House and Senate Armed Services Committee chairs launch investigations into boat strike — Representative Mike Rogers (R-AL), chair of the House Armed Services Committee, and Senator Roger Wicker (R-MS), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced they will launch investigations into the September 2 boat strike and the larger operation. Both are Republicans. Their action follows bipartisan criticism of the incident, with Senator Angus King (I-ME) calling it "a stone cold war crime."

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• Senate blocks Democratic war powers resolution on Venezuela strikes — The US Senate voted 49-51 on November 7 to reject a Democratic resolution requiring Trump to seek congressional approval before launching military strikes in Venezuela. Only two Republicans (Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski) crossed party lines to support the measure. The vote came as the Trump administration has escalated military operations against alleged drug-trafficking vessels and is developing options for land-based strikes, including potential action to destabilize the Venezuelan government. The administration relies on a Justice Department legal memo designating drug cartel groups as legitimate targets.

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• NYC Bar Association issued statement on Comey indictment — The New York City Bar Association issued a statement on September 29 about the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey, writing, "We are at a turning point in our history," and adding that "the Supreme Court has long recognized that prosecutions animated by impermissible motives are unconstitutional." The statement signals concern that the prosecution may be politically motivated.
• New York City Bar Association condemns administration's military actions — The New York City Bar Association issued a statement condemning the Trump administration's military actions against Venezuelan boats, labeling them as illegal summary executions prohibited by U.S. and international law. They called for Congress to intervene and remind the President of his lack of authority for such actions.
• New York City Bar Association warned Trump administration that attacks on Venezuelan vessels violate law and called them illegal summary execution — The New York City Bar Association issued a warning that whatever legal advice officials are using to justify attacks on Venezuelan boats will not protect them in court. The bar association called the strikes "illegal summary execution" that are "prohibited by both U.S. and international law," or "murders." It called for Trump to stop such attacks and for Congress to remind the President that he lacks authority to continue misusing military forces for unlawful attacks on foreign vessels and their civilian crews.

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• Federal appeals court blocked rapid deportation of Venezuelans under Alien Enemies Act — A federal appeals court blocked the Trump administration from rapidly deporting Venezuelans accused of being in a gang under the Alien Enemies Act, finding there was no "invasion" or "predatory incursion" to do so, which is required under the 1798 wartime law. The ruling prevented the misapplication of a wartime statute to immigration enforcement.
• Trump authorized military strike on alleged drug boat without congressional approval — Trump authorized a military strike on a boat in the Caribbean that his administration alleges was occupied by 11 members of the Tren de Aragua gang who were transporting drugs from Venezuela. The strike, which Trump said killed all 11 on board, took place without congressional approval and may have violated international human rights and maritime law. It remains unclear under what US legal or constitutional authority Trump took action or how the military determined that the individuals aboard the vessel were Tren de Aragua members.

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• Congress reviews security measures after Minnesota shooting — Following a deadly shooting in Minnesota that claimed the lives of a Democratic state legislator and her husband, Congress is reviewing security arrangements. The incident has heightened fears of political violence, especially after a hit list naming Democratic politicians was found in the accused's car. Democratic leaders, including House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, have requested increased budgets for security measures. A letter to Republican speaker Mike Johnson emphasized the need for bipartisan action to protect members of Congress. The Federal Election Commission has also expanded rules to allow campaign funds for security measures.