Murkowski: “Congress has an obligation to ask hard questions before—not after—hostilities escalate.”

Murkowski: "Congress has an obligation to ask hard questions before-not after-hostilities escalate."

Washington, DC - This evening, U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement on tonight's point of order vote regarding Senate Joint Resolution 98:

"This evening, I, for the fourth time, voted in favor of the War Powers Resolution for Venezuela.

"Nicolás Maduro was a brutal dictator who ruled through repression, corruption, and violence, and his removal from power makes the United States, the Western Hemisphere, and the Venezuelan people safer. The professionalism, discipline, execution, and courage of the U.S. servicemembers who carried out the near-flawless operation deserve great credit.

"But even when an action is justified and its outcome welcomed, the Constitution is clear that Congress is a co-equal branch of government with an essential role in decisions that place the United States on a path toward sustained military involvement. Excluding Congress from that process risks eroding public trust and blurring strategic objectives.

"While the administration argues that the Venezuelan regime is now complying and that hostilities are no longer imminent, no meaningful end state has been articulated, and U.S. forces and assets remain fully postured in the region. That posture, and operations leading up to it, demonstrate the very kind of continued military involvement the War Powers Resolution was designed to address.

"Senator Kaine's resolution does not prejudge policy outcomes, nor does it diminish the President's ability to respond to an attack on the United States or our forces. Instead, it reaffirms Congress's Article I responsibility to authorize hostilities and ensures that decisions of this magnitude receive appropriate debate and oversight. I voted against this point of order to remove privileged status from the War Powers Resolution because when American lives and military force are at stake, Congress has an obligation to ask hard questions before-not after-hostilities escalate."

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