Demand Congressional Oversight of OLC Memo and Military Strikes

I am writing to urge you to assert Congressional authority over the use of military force and demand immediate declassification of the Office of Legal Counsel memo that appears to be providing legal justification for strikes in Nigeria and the Caribbean. Ethics experts warn that this OLC analysis may have been written specifically to justify an unprecedented expansion of presidential authority, effectively providing a shield for the president to authorize the killing of civilians outside any recognized armed conflict. The September 2 attack currently under scrutiny represents a dangerous precedent. Congress has a constitutional responsibility to authorize the use of military force, yet the Administration appears to be operating under a dubious legal theory that bypasses this fundamental check on executive power. Nigerian civilians are now suffering the consequences of strikes conducted under this questionable authority, and the American people deserve to know the legal basis for these actions. I am calling on you to take three specific actions. First, assert Congressional authority to determine whether these military operations should be allowed to continue. Second, demand the declassification of the OLC memo so that both Congress and the public can evaluate the legal reasoning being used to justify these strikes. Third, call for the release of video evidence from the attacks, including the September 2 incident, to allow for proper oversight and accountability. The Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war and authorize military action. This is not a partisan issue but a matter of constitutional balance and the protection of civilian lives. Without Congressional oversight, we risk normalizing extrajudicial killings and undermining the legal frameworks that distinguish legitimate military operations from unlawful violence. I urge you to act immediately to reclaim Congress's constitutional role in these life-and-death decisions.