The Armed Services committees in both the House and Senate are looking into strikes by the Trump Administration, against boats alleged to be trafficking drugs. And at the center of the controversy is the revelation that a second strike was ordered in the Caribbean in September, after it was found there were survivors from the initial attack.
U.S. Representative Richard Neal, a Springfield Democrat, said the American people deserve answers.
"Let's find out whether or not a war crime was actually committed," Neal said. "There's certainly conflicting testimony at the moment coming from the President, coming from the secretary of defense and now we will await what the orders actually were intended to do and what they actually will tell us was accomplished. Who did this should be at the top of the agenda."
There's also been some question about whether Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth knew about the survivors before the second attack.
Neal added these strikes could also hinder international relations which are crucial to combating fentanyl trafficking, which he says often comes from the Pacific Ocean.
SNAP benefits targeted again
Also, this week, the Trump Administration said it would seek to pull food assistance benefits under the SNAP program from mostly Blue states, which have refused to release data on recipients. There is a temporary court order blocking this from taking place.
Neal called the Trump Administration’s efforts “reckless.”
“It punishes families who have done nothing wrong and violates the very tenets of privacy," Neal said. "If in fact they have some information, that's what the U.S. attorneys offices are for if they think fraud is being committed, not to arbitrarily ask and inquire as to what people are doing when they have already qualified based upon a careful review."
For the entire conversation with Neal, click on the link above.
