Jack Reed: “I think this is too important for Congress to sit on the sidelines.”

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.

Six months later, not a single objective has been achieved. Indeed, he has weakened our position in the Middle East and the world significantly.

When he unilaterally launched this war, Trump promised he would destroy Iran's nuclear program, eliminate its missile and drone arsenal, dismantle its defense industrial base, wipe out its proxy networks, and topple the regime in a matter…