Grassley protests exclusion from Venezuela briefing, given 'law enforcement' justification [View all]

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: The Hill

01/05/26 7:17 PM ET


Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, respectively, slammed the Trump administration for not including them in a Monday briefing on the operation in Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

The two senators, citing the administration’s argument that the mission was a law enforcement operation, wrote in a joint statement that there is “no legitimate basis” for their exclusion from the briefing.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine briefed leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) were also in attendance for the briefing.

“The administration’s refusal to acknowledge our Committee’s indisputable jurisdiction in this matter is unacceptable and we are following up to ensure the Committee receives warranted information regarding Maduro’s arrest,” Grassley and Durbin wrote.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5673801-senators-slam-trump-venezuela-operation-briefing-exclusion/

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Link to Senators Durbin and Grassley JOINT STATEMENT - Grassley-Durbin Statement on Judiciary Committee’s Exclusion from Administration’s Briefing on its Operations in Venezuela

That's "retribution" and "punishment" for not getting rid of the "Blue Slips" for judiciary and U.S. Attorney nominations.