7:01Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., is featured on ABC News’ ‘This Week,’ Oct. 26, 2025.ABC News
On Sunday, Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly voiced concerns regarding the legitimacy of the Trump administration’s choice to deploy a carrier strike group to the vicinity of Central and South America. This action follows the U.S. military’s execution of its tenth attack on what they claim is a Venezuelan drug vessel, all occurring within international waters.
"The White House and the Department of Defense were unable to offer a sound rationale for the legality of this operation," Kelly stated to Martha Raddatz, co-anchor of ABC News’ "This Week." "They struggled mightily to justify it. We, both Democrats and Republicans, presented them with numerous inquiries. It was an unproductive meeting that did not proceed smoothly."
Kelly also expressed his reservations concerning the potential for the U.S. military to launch ground offensives in Venezuela.
"One doesn’t reposition a naval force from its original location to the Caribbean unless there are intentions to either intimidate the target nation, which is quite menacing, or to commence military actions within Venezuela. And this does not enhance the safety of the United States; it diminishes it. I contend that initiating a conflict with Venezuela over what is essentially a matter of law enforcement is devoid of reason," Kelly articulated.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., appears on ABC News’ ‘This Week,’ Oct. 26, 2025.ABC News
It is estimated that the U.S. strikes have resulted in the deaths of at least 43 individuals thus far.
Further highlights from Kelly's interview are provided below:
Regarding the shutdown stalemate
Raddatz: [Treasury Secretary] Scott Bessent suggested that a meeting with Trump would be futile due to the Democrats.
Kelly: Well, he is utterly mistaken.
Raddatz: Utterly?
Kelly: It would prove beneficial if we could engage in meaningful negotiation on this matter. As for the president, he has dedicated a mere hour to this. How much of his time has he allocated to discussing his ballroom? This ballroom, for which he gathered these people, who will likely derive some benefit from the expenditure of hundreds of millions of dollars on a room that the vast majority of American taxpayers will never enter.
Concerning the vote against a bill to compensate federal employees during the shutdown
Raddatz: You cast your vote against a bill sponsored by Republicans that aimed to provide remuneration for certain federal workers. What was the rationale?
Kelly: Well, we introduced an alternate proposal to compensate federal employees. The crux of the issue lies in the fact that the legislation granted excessive authority to an OMB director, Russell Vought, who already operates without sufficient oversight, engaging in actions such as terminating and furloughing personnel, and dismantling government agencies. The legislation in question would have amplified this individual’s control, which was unacceptable.
Raddatz: Even with the possibility of compensating some federal workers, we could have proceeded with the payments.
Kelly: We presented legislation with precisely that objective. Bring it forward. It also failed to pass, owing to the lack of unanimous consent as Republicans obstructed it.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com
