Jack Reed: “I think it is time for us to step up as Congress and do something truly bipartisan that the American people will…”

President Trump has been explicit about his desire to extract Venezuela's oil," Reed said in a statement.

A blatant abuse of power and taxpayer dollars.

President Trump’s effort to turn the U.S. military into an investor in Venezuelan oil is a blatant abuse of power and taxpayer dollars.

His administration removed Nicolás Maduro from power, threw its weight behind the unelected leadership that replaced Maduro, and is now attempting to use U.S. military assets and taxpayer-backed financing to boost a private oil venture.