“They’ve done a lot of research,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said after meeting with military leaders.
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WASHINGTON – Lawmakers are increasing pressure on military leaders to show unedited video of a high-profile deadly attack on a suspected drug-smuggling vessel from Venezuela in September.
The Group of Eight, a bipartisan group of top lawmakers who are regularly briefed on classified intelligence issues, discussed the controversial operation during a December 9 meeting with senior officials.
During the sit-in, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he had asked Army Secretary Pete Hegseth, a former defense secretary, to show all members the entire video. Schumer said Hegseth responded that the military needed more time to consider it.
“In my opinion, I think they’ve done enough research,” Schumer said. “Congress should be able to understand that.”
The press conference came days after a congressional committee that oversees the Pentagon released a draft of an annual defense policy bill that also includes a stronger push for video. They included a clause in the must-pass bill that would withhold a quarter of Hegseth’s travel expenses if the unedited video of the boat crash was not provided to lawmakers.
The bipartisan push for more information about the incident comes as lawmakers, even some Republicans, have expressed concerns in recent weeks about how the September strike, which killed 11 people, was conducted.
Amid reports that the military moved ahead with authorization to use lethal force even though there were survivors on board, several Republican lawmakers have publicly expressed concern that the operation could violate international law. Hegseth and other government officials stressed that the move was within the military’s authority.
Contributed by: Reuters
Zachary Schermele is a Congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can email us at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and on Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social..
