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Floor Speech

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Mr. MARKEY. Mr. President, I rise today because the United States, once again, stands on the brink of a dangerous and unnecessary war, one that neither the American people nor the elected representatives whom they sent here to Washington have authorized and one that risks yet another endless conflict that will drain our coffers and cost American lives.

President Trump took military action against Venezuela without the express consent of Congress. The Constitution is clear: The power to declare war belongs to the people through their elected Representatives in Congress. That authority is not optional; it is not symbolic. It is actually a pillar of democratic accountability when it comes to matters of war and peace, to life and death.

The Senate has now spoken with a clear bipartisan voice: Trump must end his dangerous and illegal military action in Venezuela now. This Senate must speak with a bipartisan voice, especially if there is no prior congressional authorization. It must stop today.

If the Trump administration believes military force against Venezuela is necessary, the Constitution provides a clear and lawful path forward: go to Congress and make the case to the American people. If President Trump cannot make that case, then he has no business launching military strikes, killing civilians, and putting American servicemembers in harm's way.

Even after yesterday's classified briefing from ``Secretary of War Crimes'' Pete Hegseth, we all left with far more questions than answers: What will this unending occupation cost the American people? Why did the administration, led by Secretary Rubio, lie about regime change? Which is next: Greenland? Cuba? Colombia? Mexico?

But one answer is perfectly clear: the answer to the question of why Trump and Rubio did this. It is obvious. This is not a war for the Venezuelan people. It is not a war for democracy. This is an illegal war for oil. It is a coup for crude on behalf of big oil companies in our country. It is just like ``The Godfather Part I.'' Trump made Venezuela an offer it couldn't refuse. Capturing Maduro is the head in the bed. We are holding their country hostage for the foreseeable future until Venezuela gives up its resources. We are stealing their oil at gunpoint.

Trump told Big Oil CEOs that he would help them if they paid his campaign $1 billion just a year ago, and he has already given them countless tax breaks and nearly unlimited access to our public lands and waters, killing wind, killing solar, killing all-electric vehicles, killing anything that gets in the way of the agenda of the oil and natural gas industry in our country, and now--now--he is giving them Venezuela. We know he told oil execs before and after the invasion about his plans for Venezuela, not Members of Congress and not the American people.

He said to the oil companies: Get ready. Something is going to happen.

So the oil companies knew, but the American people did not. The President would not brief the U.S. Senate before the invasion. Secretary Rubio said that you can't trust the U.S. Senate, but they trusted oil companies to know; that they should get ready and that something was going to happen. On top of that, he is promising these very same oil companies that stand to get rich by selling the oil that they will get reimbursed by the American taxpayers whom they already charge through the nose for their products.

This war is not for the American people. It is for oil CEOs to profit off of instead of the American people. Chevron's stock? It is up. Americans' stock? It is down. Their bill will be paid by everyday Americans during the days to come as Trump tries to get us in a new war without end.

The Trump administration must immediately halt further military strikes in Venezuela, whether it is at sea or on land, and come to Congress if it believes force is justified. If President Trump cannot make his case to the American people and our elected representatives, then he has no business using military force and putting American servicemembers in harm's way.

So it is absolutely imperative that the Members of the U.S. Senate go on record. We are going to uphold our constitutional obligation before we commit our military to further operations in Venezuela. We must put them on record before they commit our military in Greenland. We must put them on record on the Republican side before our troops--our military--are committed in Cuba or in Colombia or in Mexico. This body must go on record. We must reclaim our constitutional prerogatives that are built into article I of the U.S. Constitution. That is the job which we must do, and that is what the American people expect from us.

Mr. President, I want to thank Dan Ohlstein for all of the great service which he has given to our country.

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