House Foreign Affairs Ranking Member Meeks Releases Statement Following Trump Administration Briefing on Extrajudicial Killings in the Western Hemisphere

Washington, D.C.- Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after attending a briefing yesterday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other administration officials:

"The Trump administration remains unable to provide any credible explanation for its extrajudicial and unauthorized military strikes in the Caribbean and Pacific. It was clear from this briefing that the administration's legal justifications are dubious and meant to circumvent Congress' constitutional power on matters of war and peace. I continue to believe these strikes are illegal, and an enormous overreach of executive power.

"Despite running for office on the promise of ending forever wars, the Trump administration is recklessly provoking a war that Congress has not authorized and the American people do not want, without thought for what comes next. It has now been more than 60 days since the Trump administration sent us its war powers notification, and yet these killings continue, without evidence and without any real due process. Congress must reassert its constitutional authority and exercise real oversight. I continue to call on Chairman Mast to hold public hearings before this reckless policy puts more American troops in harms way."