Demand Congressional Action Against Unconstitutional Military Intervention in Venezuela

I am writing to demand immediate congressional action in response to President Trump's announcement that the United States will run Venezuela following military strikes that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. This extraordinary action violates fundamental constitutional principles and requires urgent legislative intervention. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress alone the power to declare war. The President has launched military strikes against a sovereign nation, captured its head of state, and announced plans for indefinite occupation without congressional authorization. Trump stated the U.S. will stay "until such time as we're going to run it, essentially, until such time as a proper transition can take place." This is not a limited military engagement but an open-ended occupation of another country. The President has already announced that U.S. oil companies will operate Venezuela's oil reserves, spending billions to fix infrastructure and "start making money for the country." He has threatened a second, larger attack if necessary and warned Maduro supporters that their future is "really bad" unless they convert. These are not the actions of a Commander-in-Chief responding to an imminent threat. This is regime change and occupation without congressional debate or authorization. The constitutional framers deliberately placed war powers in Congress to prevent exactly this scenario: unilateral executive military action without democratic deliberation. Trump dismissed constitutional concerns as "the same old stuff that we've been hearing for years and years and years," demonstrating contempt for the separation of powers. I urge you to immediately invoke Congress's constitutional authority to check this executive overreach. This requires formal censure, investigation, and legislation to defund this unauthorized military operation. The Constitution demands congressional action when the President wages war without authorization.