{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-questions-military-nominees-on-legal-authority-for-caribbean-attacks", "King Questions Military Nominees on Legal Authority for Caribbean Attacks", "2025-09-18", "2025", "2025-09", "Independent", "Senate", "ME", "Angus S. King, Jr.", "K000383", "www.king.senate.gov", "angusking", "https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/table", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), in a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), pressed Derrick Anderson, nominee to serve as Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict in the Department of Defense (DoD), about his views on the legality of the recent unprecedented lethal strikes on vessels in the Caribbean ordered by the Trump Administration. Earlier this month, a first strike on an alleged drug boat killed 11 people. A second strike was carried out just days ahead of the hearing and claimed three lives. The Administration has not publicly disclosed evidence of drugs or weapons onboard the ships, nor provided a full legal or military justification for why this deadly strike was the preferred option.\n\n\u201cMr. Anderson, what is the authority for the lethal strikes on the ships in the Caribbean that have recently been carried out by the administration, that I believe would fall under your jurisdiction and the new position you are being nominated for,\u201d asked Senator King.\n\n\u201cSenator, I appreciate the question. I was not involved in the operation, nor do I know any of the details but what I have seen on the news in small clips, Senator, and what I can tell you is that in my capacity as a green beret, I understand the complexities of operations, planning operations, and all the different factors, but again Senator I was not involved in it,\u201d replied Mr. Anderson.\n\n\u201cBut don't you think that one of the early things that you should assess \u2014 you listed all those things \u2014 and the first is, \u2018Is this a legal action of the United States government?\u2019 Wouldn\u2019t that be part of your calculation,\u201d questioned Senator King.\n\n\u201cSenator, again, I was not involved in that operation,\u201d stated Mr. Anderson.\n\n\u201cI understand that, but I am talking in the future. You might be in this job in three weeks and be ordered to strike another ship in the Caribbean. Are you going to ask a question about what is the legal authority for that strike,\u201d asked Senator King.\n\n\u201cSenator, certainly, and even in my capacity as a Green Beret team leader on the ground, we always had legal opinions and legal chops on our operations. So, if confirmed, Senator, I will comply with all laws and regulations and ensure that we have input from all portions of the Department,\u201d responded Mr. Anderson.\n\n\u201cAnd make no mistake, I have been urging in this Committee for years: stronger interdiction of drug smuggling coming in through the Southern Ocean. But interdiction is different than a lethal strike. I think it is just a question of, \u2018What is the authority?\u2019 We should have notification back and forth to Congress, that\u2019s the way this process is supposed to work. Under the War Powers Act, and under the Constitution, it is our job to declare war and it is the president's job to be Commander in Chief, so I hope you\u2019ll take that question seriously and it will be one of the first I hope you\u2019ll look into should you be confirmed for this position,\u201d concluded Senator King.\n\nEarlier in the hearing, Senator King pressed Platte Moring, nominee to serve as the Inspector General of the Department of Defense (DoD), on his ability to remain objective and provide factual guidance without fear of influence or retribution from the Administration. Inspector Generals serve a unique role given they are embedded within a federal agency but are required to provide objective reporting to agency heads and Congress to better ensure accountability and improve government operations\n\nSenator King began, \u201cMr. Moring, you're being appointed to a position that is an anomaly in any government \u2013 that is an independent watchdog over the government itself. And I guess my first question is, do you need this job? Because your predecessor was summarily fired without cause and without the statutorily required notice to Congress. So, will you take the necessary actions to look at waste, fraud, and abuse and abuse of illegal actions by the Department in your job without fear of retribution?\u201d\n\n\u201cYes, Senator. I will, in an independent and objective manner as required by the statute,\u201d said Mr. Moring.\n\n\u201cYou understand that that is a solemn obligation because we cannot be in the Department every day. We cannot be in touch with whistleblowers, people that are of concern. You are performing an essential function in the Department, and I believe that you are eminently qualified to do so, and I think you understand that responsibility, but I would like a renewal of that commitment of independence, fearlessness, and calling them as you see them,\u201d requested Senator King.\n\n\u201cSenator King, as we discussed in your office yesterday, you have my commitment to be everything that you just described. It has been a hallmark of my legal career to provide independent, unbiased legal advice whether it is to a client, commander, or the general counsel of the Department,\u201d replied Mr. Moring.\n\n\u201cI believe you will do that, and for that reason I will support your nomination,\u201d finished Senator King.\n\nAs a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as an authoritative voice on national security, foreign policy issues, and an active, vocal supporter of the importance of democratic values and defeating terrorism. Senator King traveled to the Middle East earlier this year, to get a closer look at the threats to stability in the region, calling for continued American engagement in the region. This summer, Senator King pressed a Department of Defense (DoD) nominees on his thoughts about the current role of ISIS, Al-Qaeda and other terrorists groups in the African region.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:10:29Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.king.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/king-questions-military-nominees-on-legal-authority-for-caribbean-attacks"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6454539727419615, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}