POGO -- Testing the waters for a new age of imperalism

 

January 10, 2025

CHECKS AND BALANCES

Testing the waters for a new age of imperalism

The airstrikes in Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife were a stunning abuse of power by President Donald Trump. In the leadup to the airstrikes, the administration carried out 35 deadly missile strikes on noncombatant boats. And Congress, instead of being the people’s voice in deciding if the country should go to war — as is its duty — largely let the White House get away with it. The administration is now doubling down on its threats to target Greenland next, and Congress must realize that if it wants to preserve any meaningful role in our government, it needs to act now. Thankfully, the Senate voted on Thursday to advance a bipartisan measure stopping further military action in Venezuela without prior congressional approval. Join us in urging them to vote yes. TAKE ACTION Join thousands of POGO supporters in urging Congress to pass S.J. Res 98, currently up for a vote on the Senate floor. Your representatives need to hear where you stand.   ANALYSIS Airstrikes, Maduro, and the U.S. Constitution: Making sense of the events of January 3 and what could and must happen next in a Q&A with the director of The Constitution Project at POGO.  POGO sued the Pentagon this week for access to the video shared with Congress of the September Venezuelan boat strike in which the military fired a follow-up strike on two survivors. The Pentagon is currently shielding the video from the public.

ABUSE OF POWER AND RIGHTS

A horrific and heartbreaking shooting in Minneapolis

(Illustration: Ren Velez / POGO; Photos: Getty Images) Mere days after ICE announced it was undertaking its “largest immigration operation ever” in Minnesota, a 37-year-old woman was shot and killed by an immigration agent. Before any investigation, and in apparent contradiction to video evidence, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem alleged that the woman was committing an act of domestic terrorism. Even before this fatal shooting, there have been mounting incidents of ICE and Border Patrol agents using excessive and deadly force. The administration’s immediate attempt to spin the shooting as an act of self-defense before a thorough investigation has been conducted makes it clear just how little it cares about public safety or accountability. And the FBI has now cut local authorities out of the investigation into the shooting. DHS’s culture of impunity must not stand. You deserve a genuine and thorough reckoning for this act of needless violence. Last year, POGO Investigates published an investigation into the disproportionate use of force of federal agents working under Border Patrol Chief Greg Bovino. Bovino is set to lead a large-scale immigration operation in Minnesota, and came to the scene of the shooting on Wednesday.  Border Patrol agents shot two people during a traffic stop in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday. DHS has again claimed that the shooting happened in an act of self-defense. State officials in Oregon have opened an investigation into the incident.  Amidst the immigration crackdown and protests comes news of an alarming new ICE surveillance tool that allows the agency to track mobile phones of entire neighborhoods without a warrant. We cannot let this gross violation of American freedoms become the new norm. Congress must stop this unchecked surveillance. Learn more about the data-broker loophole that allows for this abuse of your privacy rights on pogo.org.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

The absurd, senseless pitch for a 50% Pentagon budget increase

In the midst of several foreign conflicts of his administration’s own making, President Trump has proposed increasing the Pentagon’s budget to $1.5 trillion in Fiscal Year 2027, a more than 50% increase from what Congress approved late last year. In a Truth Social post, the president said the money would allow the Pentagon to build a “Dream Military” in these “troubled and dangerous times.” We’ve been tracking Pentagon waste for more than 40 years, and we can assure you that any increase to the Pentagon’s budget would only be a dream for the defense contractors who profit from the irresponsible, inefficient, incredibly wasteful misuse of your hard-earned tax dollars — and a nightmare for the American people. The Pentagon has never passed a financial audit. What it desperately needs is oversight, transparency, and reform. Not a comically large check. Since last year, the administration has made a pronounced effort to cut what it perceives to be barriers (and what is in fact crucial oversight) at the Pentagon and prioritize speed over all else in weapons acquisition. A massive influx of spending when oversight, transparency, and guardrails have been significantly weakened is a recipe for waste, fraud, and corruption.  A primary focus of the administration’s National Security Strategy is a retreat from global commitments. The idea that the government should increase the Pentagon’s budget to participate in foreign conflicts (of their own making) flies in the face of that strategy.

Why it's crucial we keep fighting:

After months of steady public outrage and pressure, the Trump administration is withdrawing National Guard troops from Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland following a consequential loss in the Supreme Court. This is why it is crucial we hold strong. The law is on your side. Thank you for being relentless in your defense of our constitutional principles and uncompromising in your demands for accountability. We need all of you in this fight to protect your rights, freedoms, and democracy itself.

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