U.S. Republicans Demand Answers on Caribbean Region Attack

Some Republican lawmakers have expressed concerns about U.S. military actions off the coast of Venezuela and have teamed up with Democrats, pledging to investigate the multiple attacks on a single boat, although there was no information on any meeting or hearing on Monday. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Monday (2) that there were two attacks on a boat in early September, stating that they were lawful and authorized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, days after some members of Congress claimed that the second attack to kill survivors could have been illegal. Boat attacks are the second issue in a week to raise objections from Republicans, who have strongly supported virtually all of President Donald Trump’s policies since the beginning of his second term in January. Last week, several Republican lawmakers heavily criticized the White House for its handling of a proposed peace plan for Ukraine that they believe favors Russia. The latest concerns arose after The Washington Post reported on Friday (28) that Hegseth ‘verbally ordered’ killing everyone on board one of the vessels. Hegseth vehemently denied ordering a second attack, calling the reports ‘fabricated, inflammatory, and derogatory’ on social media. Trump said he would look into the matter but believed ‘100%’ in Hegseth when he said he had not ordered a second attack. The two congressional committees led by Republicans overseeing the Pentagon said they would review the case. On Friday (28), Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman, Republican Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and ranking Democrat Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, stated that they would conduct ‘robust oversight’. Their counterparts on the House Armed Services panel, Republican Chairman Mike Rogers of Alabama and Democrat Adam Smith of Washington, said they took the information seriously and were taking bipartisan steps to get a complete report. Leavitt mentioned in a White House meeting that Hegseth had spoken with some members of Congress ‘who might be concerned’ over the weekend. On Monday (1st), Democratic and Republican leaders in Congress said they anticipated bipartisan examinations of the incident.