1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

I am writing in a state of extreme concern and distress over recent public statements by President Trump claiming that the U.S. military conducted strikes against Venezuela and “captured” foreign leaders, while the administration simultaneously frames these actions as criminal law-enforcement matters. This is a constitutional emergency, not a policy disagreement. Under U.S. law, the military is prohibited from conducting arrests or law-enforcement actions without explicit Congressional authorization (Posse Comitatus Act). At the same time, any use of military force against a foreign nation constitutes an act of war, which only Congress has the authority to authorize under Article I of the Constitution. The Executive Branch cannot lawfully collapse these distinctions, bypass Congress, and substitute press statements or patriotic rhetoric for legal authority. As a constituent, I am demanding immediate action: 1. Public disclosure of the legal authority relied upon for any military action involving Venezuela. 2. Confirmation of whether Congress authorized, approved, or was even notified of these actions. 3. Emergency briefings and public hearings if Congress was bypassed. 4. A clear reassertion of Congress’s constitutional duty to check executive war powers. Our nation cannot withstand further erosion of constitutional limits, civilian control of the military, or the rule of law. Congressional silence in this moment is not neutrality—it is abdication. I expect you to act now, publicly and decisively.