Re: Reply from Senator Adam Schiff (fwd)

[robert <http://dummy.us.eu.org/robert>]

Yeah, sort of the response I expected from Schiff - a bit milktoast, but a
good first step.

 > From: Noelle <noelle>
 > Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2026 08:59:37 -0800 (PST)
 >
 >  > From: "Senator Adam Schiff" <http://www.schiff.senate.gov/~correspondence>
 >  > Date: 14 Jan 2026 09:13:40 -0500
 >  > 
 >  >  Dear Mrs.:
 >  > 
 >  >  Thank you for writing to me about the President's illegal action in 
 >  >  Venezuela. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to 
 >  >  respond.  For months I have been opposing the administration's 
 >  >  unlawful use of force against targets in the region, and warned of 
 >  >  precisely this kind of escalation.  
 >  > 
 >  >  As you know, the U.S. military and Department of Justice conducted an 
 >  >  operation on January 2-3, 2026, to capture the illegitimate leader of 
 >  >  Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro. Maduro is a thug who has terrorized and 
 >  >  oppressed the Venezuelan people for far too long, and he will now face 
 >  >  trial in a New York court. And while U.S. service members conducted the 
 >  >  operation with great skill and courage, the military action was not 
 >  >  approved by congress, violates the Constitution, and risks embroiling us in 
 >  >  another war. It also  may provide cover to our adversaries, like Russia or 
 >  >  China, who may want to use similar illegal actions for their own purposes 
 >  >  in Ukraine or Taiwan. 
 >  > 
 >  >  President Trump and his administration spent months using drug trafficking 
 >  >  as a false pretense to amass firepower in the Caribbean. At Trump's 
 >  >  direction, the United States destroyed alleged drug boats and killed those 
 >  >  on board even though many of these boats weren't bound for our 
 >  >  shores. The military also fired on shipwrecked survivors of a boat strike 
 >  >  on September 2nd, in violation of the laws of war.
 >  > 
 >  >  Trump's anti-drug running pretext was laid bare when he pardoned 
 >  >  former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez, who was convicted by a 
 >  >  U.S. jury and sentenced to 45 years in prison for smuggling narcotics into 
 >  >  American neighborhoods. Now, having captured Maduro, the President is 
 >  >  saying that we are going to "run" a foreign country and aid oil 
 >  >  executives and the remnants of Maduro's corrupt regime to profit from 
 >  >  the country's oil and other natural resources, all to help 
 >  >  Trump's biggest corporate backers and billionaires.
 >  > 
 >  >  This administration's true motive for its blatantly illegal use of 
 >  >  military force has never been more clear: it was never about drugs; it was 
 >  >  always about regime change and access to oil in an oil-rich nation. 
 >  > 
 >  >  Last year, I offered the first legislation under the War Powers Act to stop 
 >  >  the illegal boat strikes without explicit authorization from Congress. It 
 >  >  received bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate but not enough to pass. More 
 >  >  recently, I  joined Senators Tim Kaine and Rand Paul on another resolution 
 >  >  to stop further action in Venezuela without congressional approval &mdash; 
 >  >  this time it passed, with five Republican votes. As a result, we will now 
 >  >  have a full debate on the use of military force in that country, and move 
 >  >  the discussion out of the classified spaces below the Capitol and bring it 
 >  >  into the public view. 
 >  > 
 >  >  President Trump has made clear his desire for continued involvement in 
 >  >  Venezuela, potentially with boots on the ground, and has overtly threatened 
 >  >  military action against Greenland, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico and other 
 >  >  countries. Congress must reassert its power to authorize or prevent the use 
 >  >  of military force, and I am committed to working with my Senate colleagues 
 >  >  to speak for the American people who profoundly reject being dragged into 
 >  >  new wars.
 >  > 
 >  >  Americans, especially our military families, deserve better than a 
 >  >  President who will so openly break his promises of peace when there's 
 >  >  oil profits on the line.
 >  > 
 >  >  Transparency has been a goal of mine throughout my time in Congress. You 
 >  >  can find detailed information on every bill introduced in the Senate on 
 >  >  Congress.gov 
 >  >  https://outreach.senate.gov/iqextranet/iqClickTrk.aspx?&cid=SenSchiff&crop=16956QQQ31630138QQQ11833366QQQ2786429&report_id=&redirect=https%3a%2f%2fCongress.gov&redir_log=127565457874143,
 >  >  , including the 
 >  >  summary and full text of the legislation, which Senators have co-sponsored 
 >  >  it, and the most recent action taken by Congress. 
 >  >  An ongoing job of a Senator is to help constituents solve problems with 
 >  >  federal agencies, access services, and get their questions answered 
 >  >  promptly.  You 
 >  >  can always reach my office by phone at (202) 224-3841.
 >  >  Thank you again for your thoughts. I hope you will continue to share your 
 >  >  views and ideas with me.
 >  > 
 >  >  Sincerely,
 >  >  
 >  >  Adam B. Schiff 
 >  >  UNITED STATES SENATOR