The Trump administration’s attack and takeover of Venezuela this month appears on the surface to have unanimous support among Republican lawmakers – but in private, some are frustrated at getting stonewalled and have been pushing back against the administration’s lack of a clear plan, according to a report.
Lawmakers were given a classified briefing last week on the attack, as well as the administration’s plans for the country going forward. In public, Republican lawmakers have praised the administration’s efforts.
A handful, however, spoke to NOTUS recently and revealed a different story.
“I haven’t gotten full, detailed, satisfactory answers yet,” said Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI), speaking about the briefing in its report Tuesday.
Huizenga also told NOTUS that he had pushed back against Trump’s plan to control Venezuela's oil, telling the outlet that his question “wasn’t intended to be hostile so much as it was inquisitive about, OK, have we thought through this?”
One senior House Democrat who was part of the classified briefing, speaking with NOTUS on the condition of anonymity, said the pushback on Trump’s plans was wildly bipartisan, and championed the number of Republicans who raised concerns.
“There was bipartisan concern, very balanced bipartisan concern, over the lack of a plan to transition to democracy, allowing the remaining regime leaders [to remain in power],” they told NOTUS. “It was good to see some of my Republican colleagues actually being members of Congress.”
The day of the Venezuela attack, Trump announced that the United States would “run the country” until a transfer of power could be facilitated, and he has already proposed a plan to control the nation’s oil supply.
Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA), also a participant of the briefing, reportedly pushed back on the Trump administration’s seizures of Venezuelan oil tankers, according to a House Republican who spoke with NOTUS on the condition of anonymity. However, Meuser refuted the claim to NOTUS, telling the outlet that he “did not show concern about seizing tankers.”