Bartlesville, OK – January 3, 2026

This morning's military strikes on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro represent a dangerous overreach of executive power and a clear violation of both our Constitution and international law. I am compelled to speak out against what appears to be an illegal act of aggression that will diminish America's standing in the world and set a troubling precedent for how we conduct foreign policy.

Let's be clear about what happened here. Without a declaration of war from Congress and without authorization for the use of military force, the President ordered strikes on a sovereign nation and orchestrated what amounts to a kidnapping of a head of state. No matter what we think of Maduro's regime—and there is much to criticize—this is not how a nation governed by the rule of law conducts itself.

The administration claims this is about stopping drug trafficking, but we need to look honestly at the facts. Venezuela produces virtually no fentanyl. The Trump administration has provided no credible evidence linking the boats they've destroyed to actual drug operations. Meanwhile, the President and his advisors have been remarkably candid about their real interest: Venezuela's oil. Stephen Miller said it out loud—that Venezuela's oil "belongs" to the United States. The President himself has demanded Venezuela return "all of the oil, land, and other assets" to America.

This isn't about protecting Americans from drugs. This is about seizing control of the world's largest proven oil reserves through military force.

That should trouble every American who believes in the principles this country was founded on. We don't invade other countries to take their resources. We don't bypass Congress when committing acts of war. And we don't shred international law whenever it's inconvenient. The Constitution gives Congress—not the President alone—the power to declare war for good reason. Our founders understood the dangers of unchecked executive power, particularly when it comes to military action.

When I'm elected to Congress, I will fight to restore constitutional order and accountability. That means:

• Demanding a full investigation into the legal justification for these strikes

• Supporting immediate congressional action to limit this President's ability to wage unauthorized war

• Holding hearings to examine whether oil interests, not drug policy, drove this decision

• Working to repair the damage done to America's international standing

• Ensuring that no president—from either party—can unilaterally commit acts of war without congressional authorization

The people of this district deserve a representative who will stand up for the Constitution even when it's politically difficult, who will ask hard questions about whether we're being told the truth about military action, and who understands that American power is strongest when it's exercised within the bounds of law, both domestic and international.

This isn't about defending Maduro. It's about defending the principles that make America a nation of laws. It's about preserving Congress's constitutional role as a check on executive overreach. And it's about ensuring that we don't sacrifice our values in pursuit of oil disguised as drug policy.

The American people deserve better. They deserve the truth. And they deserve leaders who will uphold their oath to the Constitution, no matter who sits in the Oval Office.

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