Trump’s illegal invasion of Venezuela shows how the U.S. has abandoned checks and balances |
From left: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and President Donald Trump monitor U.S. military operations in Venezuela from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club on Saturday in Palm Beach, Fla.
The United States’ invasion of Venezuela is just the latest unilateral military action taken by a president without consulting with Congress and without congressional approval. This is fundamentally at odds with a Constitution based on checks and balances that was meant to require that two branches of the federal government be involved in any major action. It is imperative that Congress now assert its constitutional prerogatives and exercise oversight, and be fully involved, in what comes next for the United States in Venezuela and in any other military actions.
Over the course of American history, and especially since World War II, there have been several instances of presidents deploying troops without any semblance of congressional authority. For example, in 1958, President Dwight Eisenhower sent troops to Lebanon to protect American economic interests. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson used the military in the Dominican Republic to safeguard Americans there. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan used the military in Grenada to protect American students there and to establish a new government. In 1989, President George H.W. Bush invaded Panama to depose its de facto ruler, Gen. Manuel Noriega, who was wanted by U.S. authorities for racketeering and drug trafficking. In March 2011, President........