The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org. January 5, 2026 Top Democrats Say Trump Admin Still Has Not Briefed Congress About Venezuela Attack ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On Capitol Hill, as lawmakers return from their winter recess, top Democrats say the Trump administration has still not briefed members of Congress about the U.S. attack on Venezuela. In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Maduro a "criminal and authoritarian dictator," but condemned President Trump for using military force without congressional authorization. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a similar statement, calling Maduro an "illegitimate dictator," while Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who serves as deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, condemned Trump's invasion of Venezuela as "blatantly illegal and unconstitutional." She added, "We must vote on a War Powers Resolution, so that the people's elected representatives can have an open debate and vote on the merits of a war against Venezuela - before Trump's regime-change efforts cause further chaos and harm." .