“Congress must immediately reassert its constitutional authority” following arrest of Venezuela’s leader

Following the recent U.S. military operation in Venezuela and arrest of the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, Issue One Founder and CEO Nick Penniman issued the following statement:

“There are serious and unresolved legal questions surrounding the arrest of Nicolás Maduro. Those questions matter. But at this point, they are no longer the most consequential issue before us. What does matter — urgently — is what happens next.

“Congress must immediately reassert its constitutional authority. Decisions of this magnitude cannot belong to the White House alone. Congress, not just the executive branch, must be involved at every step: authorizing action, overseeing its execution, and defining democratic objectives. That is not a partisan demand — it is an Article I obligation.

“There are concrete mechanisms available now. A bipartisan War Powers Resolution led by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rand Paul (R-KY), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) — with a House companion from Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Jim McGovern (D-MA) — would end unauthorized U.S. military operations in Venezuela. Sen. Kaine has also announced he will force a war powers vote this week to block any further boots-on-the-ground deployment.

“More broadly, Congress should advance the National Security Powers Act, which would restore Congress’ constitutional role over war-making, emergency powers, and military deployments. These are democracy bills. They reinforce the separation of powers exactly as the Founders intended.

“Finally, this moment must not become a partisan rooting contest. Those who simply want the White House to fail are, by implication, rooting against the 30 million Venezuelans who long for freedom. The measure of success is not political advantage in Washington, but whether U.S. actions maximize the real possibility of democratic change for the Venezuelan people.”

Background

Issue One’s We the People Playbook highlights key powers that Congress must reassert to restore the balance of power, including reclaiming war powers to ensure military force is used only when backed by democratic legitimacy.

A recent nationwide poll conducted by Issue One also found that American voters are increasingly concerned about too much power being concentrated in the presidency. 66% support requiring congressional notification for military strikes abroad and congressional approval for acts of war, with only 20% opposing such requirements.