The Trump administration stated Monday it has supplied seven separate classified briefings on US military strikes on alleged drug boats, at the same time as lawmakers have stated they haven’t acquired the knowledge they need.
“The administration provided Congress seven separate classified briefings since early September, covering members or staff from House leadership, Senate leadership, the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, and the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees,” a senior administration official stated in an announcement to NCS when requested whether or not the White House could be briefing Congress.
The White House confirmed to NCS that these briefings had been particularly in regards to the strikes.
NCS has reached out to Senate and House management and the committees named.
Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, who was briefed on latest US military strikes, stated on Sunday that the proof he was introduced doesn’t “back up” all the administration’s claims in regards to the boats.
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The Arizona Democrat instructed ABC’s “This Week” that White House and Pentagon officers who briefed the Senate Intelligence Committee couldn’t give a “logical explanation” in regards to the legality of the strikes.
“They were tying themselves in knots trying to explain this. We had a lot of questions for them, both Democrats and Republicans. It was not a good meeting. It did not go well,” he continued.
And the highest Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Adam Smith, instructed NCS’s Kaitlan Collins final week that he hasn’t gotten the knowledge he’s on the lookout for from the administration.
“We’ve tried to ask questions. The Pentagon, Intel services have provided no answers to Congress to date,” the Washington state Democrat stated.
Pressed on whether or not his committee has gotten any solutions, Smith pointed to conversations he has had with GOP Chairman Mike Rogers.
“This is somewhat bipartisan. I’ve spoken to Chairman Mike Rogers, good friend, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, I work closely with. He hasn’t gotten the answers either,” Smith stated, including that he’d like to have a listening to.
“Now, we want to have a hearing, and we’re supposed to set one up,” he stated, arguing that’s been “complicated” by Speaker Mike Johnson preserving the House out of session amid the shutdown.
GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham, a detailed ally of President Donald Trump, on Sunday defended the president’s means to probably authorize extra intensive military operations as he ramps up strain on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
“That’s a real possibility,” he stated on CBS’ “Face the Nation” when requested about land strikes Trump has just lately teased, including that the president instructed him that Congress will probably be briefed on “future potential military operations against Venezuela and Colombia” when he returns from Asia.
“There will be a congressional briefing about a potential expanding from the sea to the land. I support that idea, but I think he has all the authority he needs,” the South Carolina Republican stated.
NCS’s Annie Grayer and Ali Main contributed to this report.