Rep Jim Himes claims Trump ignored Congress in Venezuela operation: 'Haven’t gotten a phone call'

WASHINGTON, DC: Rep Jim Himes (D-CT) escalated his criticism of the Trump administration on Sunday, January 4, branding its failure to brief senior Democrats on the Venezuela operation as “egregious” and a clear act of “absolute lawlessness.”

Appearing on both CNN’s 'State of the Union' and CBS’s 'Face the Nation', the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said that he was blindsided by the high-risk capture of Nicolás Maduro.

Himes accused the administration of following a “long pattern” of sidelining Congress, selectively sharing sensitive information with political allies while freezing out legally mandated oversight.

Jim Himes claims Trump admin ignored Congress after operation

Speaking with CNN’s Dana Bash, Himes said that even after the operation had concluded, he had yet to hear directly from the White House.

“Still haven’t gotten a phone call,” Himes said. He noted that while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's staff eventually contacted committee aides, the elected principals were bypassed.

“This is a long pattern, and a particularly egregious example of a pattern of this administration not giving a hoot about the United States Congress,” he added.

Himes dismissed arguments that secrecy justified the snub. “Whether you think Congress leaks or not, the law says you must brief the Congress,” he said. “So this is just yet another example of absolute lawlessness on the part of this administration.”

'Zero outreach' to Democrats

Earlier on 'Face the Nation', Himes laid out what he called a stark partisan imbalance.

As a member of the 'Gang of Eight', the small group of congressional leaders legally required to be briefed on covert actions, Himes said that there was “zero outreach” to him.

By contrast, he noted that Sen Tom Cotton (R-AR), the Republican chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, had been in “regular contact” with the administration.

“Apparently, we’re now in a world where the legal obligation to keep the Congress informed only applies to your party,” Himes told Margaret Brennan.

Republicans argue Venezuela briefings not legally required

Republicans pushed back, arguing that the briefings were not legally required.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rick Crawford defended the secrecy during an appearance on Fox News’ 'Sunday Morning Futures'.

Crawford argued that the operation was primarily a law enforcement action to execute an arrest warrant, not a traditional military strike, and therefore did not trigger the same notification requirements.

He also cited the need to protect “operational security” for the US personnel involved in the mission.

Jim Himes warns sidestepping Congress sets dangerous precedent

Himes flatly rejected that rationale, warning that allowing the president to sidestep Congress on military matters set a perilous precedent. He said the 'Gang of Eight' existed precisely to handle the most sensitive information without compromising security.

“The Constitution is really pretty clear that the representatives of the people get to be consulted and ultimately approve military activity,” Himes said. “That has not happened here at all.”