The two congressmen whose districts when put together cover Westchester have sharply diverging views on the Trump administration’s military attack on Venezuela that included capturing Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife.
Rep. George Latimer, a Democrat, represents the New York 16th Congressional District that includes part of Westchester and the Bronx. Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican, represents New York’s 17th Congressional District that includes part of Westchester and Dutchess and all of Rockland and Putnam.
Latimer, who is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said that he did not received an advance briefing of what the administration was about to do.
“I heard details about this military action at the same time everyone else did,” Latimer said. “The fact that the Republican leadership in the House is not incensed over the president’s unilateral act of war screams volumes about their lack of fitness to lead both Congress and our nation. This action does not keep us ‘safe’ from drugs. If that was our top reason, then why did the president pardon the convicted drug trafficker who was president of Honduras who dumped tons of drugs into American homes?”
According to Lawler, Trump followed the law by notifying Congress about what he had done within 48 hours after he did it. Lawler also characterized what happened as a law enforcement action and not an element of a war.
“Nicolás Maduro has been indicted three times in United States courts for his role in flooding our nation with illicit drugs that have resulted in the deaths of countless Americans,” Lawler said. “He and his wife will now face the full weight of American justice and be held accountable for their crimes.”
Latimer agreed that “Maduro is a bad guy, who held onto power illegally despite losing the election. But Trump has aligned us with other dictators – if they have friendly relations with Trump.”
Latimer said that what Trump did weakens the U.S. with allies around the globe, asking, “What moral standing do we lean on now to oppose Russia’s intervention in Ukraine or China’s likely takeover of Taiwan, when we do the same thing for our reasons?”
Lawler, in lining up with others backing Trump said, “The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is an important step toward ending the deadly flow of drugs into the United States and ensuring peace and prosperity for all Venezuelans. It is also a stark reminder to terrorists, dictators, and drug lords across the world that there is no safe harbor. This is what the doctrine of peace through strength looks like, and I am thankful for President Trump’s decisive move to strike at the heart of the narco-terror state and illegal drug trade that have been ravaging our hemisphere for decades.”
Latimer, however, pointed to Trump’s own words during the announcement and news conference when he revealed the U.S. military attack and Maduro’s capture.
“He admitted the real reason for this illegal military action – control of Venezuela’s oil,” Latimer said. “That’s why the president did nothing to inform the Congress since we would ask these questions before any action was taken. Reasonable people can and should discuss what the best strategy moving forward should be, but temporarily taking over Venezuela should not be one of those strategies. The administration must immediately brief Congress on their plan for stability in Venezuela, their legal justification for these actions, and what America’s role will be in all of this, and Congress must then act appropriately according to our nation’s laws and the Constitution.”
