I wrote a book on the politics of war powers, and Trump’s attack on Venezuela reflects Congress surrendering its decision-making powers

By: Sarah Burns, Rochester Institute of Technology, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: January 3, 2026

Words: 1,522

Last Updated: 3 days, 14 hours ago

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By Sarah Burns, Rochester Institute of Technology

Americans woke up on Jan. 3, 2025, to blaring headlines: “US CAPTURES MADURO, TRUMP SAYS,” declared The New York Times, using all capital letters. The U.S. had mounted an overnight military raid in Venezuela that immediately raised questions of procedure and legality. Prime among them was what role Congress had – or should have had – in the operation.

Politics editor Naomi Schalit interviewed political …

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