WASHINGTON-Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), a senior member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement regarding President Trump's unilateral use of military force and public assertion that the United States will run Venezuela:

"Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate dictator who has inflicted immense suffering on the Venezuelan people, but that reality does not give any president a blank check to use military force without Congress. By acting without congressional authorization and publicly asserting U.S. control over another sovereign nation, President Trump is abusing presidential power and undermining the Constitution's separation of powers. The Administration must immediately account for the safety of U.S. personnel, disclose whether there were any casualties, and fully and immediately brief Congress. The President has now stated that the United States will run Venezuela, committing the country to open-ended responsibility. Neither the American people nor Congress approved that course. This use of force and claimed control erode the rule of law, embolden Moscow and Beijing to push boundaries elsewhere, weaken America's credibility, and ultimately make Americans less safe."