The next is the transcript of the interview with Sen. Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland, that aired on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Jan. 4, 2026.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Welcome again to Face The Nation. I simply need to apologize to our viewers there. Congressman Himes didn’t have a foul case of the hiccups. Now we have technical issues. That is why he was getting interrupted there. It is referred to as LiveU, that is the expertise getting used, and it wasn’t working. So apologies for reducing that brief. You are again with me now in studio, and we will speak to Maryland Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who’s right here in-person–
SEN. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN: Good to be with you Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: –and won’t have these issues, we hope. However let’s decide up on that exact same level that we have been discussing with Congressman Himes there. He says that no info was being shared with the highest individuals who have oversight, like himself. What leverage do Democrats must pressure the administration to deal with Congress as a co-equal department of presidency?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Effectively, Margaret, it is arduous when the Republicans in Congress are completely AWOL, proper? After they need to give Donald Trump basically a clean test, as a result of they proceed to have majorities, in fact, within the Home and the Senate. Clearly in 2026 if Democrats regain management of both home, we may have the gavel, however within the meantime, we have to go on to the American folks and simply make it very clear that on this case, it is my view that the Trump administration has been mendacity to the American folks. This has by no means been about stopping medication from coming to the US. All of us help stopping medication. This, from the start, has been about eliminating Maduro, grabbing Venezuela’s oil for American oil firms and Trump’s billionaire buddies. That is what that is about. That is why Donald Trump spent a lot time yesterday speaking about oil.
MARGARET BRENNAN: 20 occasions the phrase oil was utilized in these remarks. The Protection Secretary spoke to my colleague Tony Dokoupil and used the phrase oil about six occasions. There may be loads of deal with these pure assets, however arguably, is not that what China, Russia, Iran, others, are additionally making an attempt to do? Which is to extract their very own profit from this nation. You realize, What’s the counter to that time that the administration would argue?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Effectively, the counter is, you do not invade a rustic to seize their pure assets, proper?
MARGARET BRENNAN: Do you contemplate this an invasion, despite the fact that, though it is unclear, as a result of–
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Effectively, let’s put it this fashion–
[CROSSTALK]
MARGARET BRENNAN: –Senator Cotton each stated there have been boots on the bottom and that there aren’t.
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Effectively, they took- they’d boots on the bottom, proper? They took, they took out the chief, and now they’re demanding entry to Venezuela’s oil. That is what this has been about. I imply, Donald Trump, you realize, claimed that he’d been in opposition to the conflict in Iraq from the start. That wasn’t true, however what we do know is he stated, nicely, having gone into Iraq, we must always have gotten their oil. That is what drives Donald Trump and our service women and men carry out magnificently, however I feel it is outrageous that the President of the US places American lives in danger so huge American oil firms and his billionaire buddies can revenue.
MARGARET BRENNAN: However arguably, there are additionally important minerals there. There are all types of pure assets in Venezuela that the drug cartels even have been getting within the enterprise of, that the Chinese language have been there making an attempt to get. How do you do each issues? Each nook the market on issues which can be of significant nationwide safety curiosity, these sort of minerals, and nonetheless really keep the rules that you just’re arguing must be upheld?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Effectively, the US is working, and underneath the earlier administration, additionally labored to safe important mineral provide chains. Sadly, in lots of of those areas, the Trump administration really has surrendered to China. I imply, in the event you take a look at, for instance, clear power and all these points and batteries, we have basically surrendered that market to China. What you do not do Margaret is you do not put American lives in danger to go in and seize oil assets to profit the billionaires that help Donald Trump.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So Chevron, an American Oil Firm, has been working in Venezuela all through they usually informed CBS yesterday that they proceed to work there. My understanding is there are a whole lot of People working and residing in Venezuela nonetheless. Reportedly, there are no less than 4 who’ve been detained by the regime, the regime that is still in energy. You might be on Senate International Relations, what are you aware in regards to the detained People? What can you discover out about how they’re doing?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: I’ve not gotten an replace from the administration on these detained People. Months in the past, I did work to safe the discharge of an American, a Marylander, who we now have again in Baltimore, Maryland. I feel the administration is these detentions at the moment ongoing in Venezuela and figuring out what number of of them are wrongful detentions, what number of that they do not assume are wrongful detentions. However actually, my view is we must always work to deliver again each American who’s wrongfully detained abroad. I feel that is going to complicate that effort, what the Trump administration simply did.
MARGARET BRENNAN: As a result of they may designate Venezuela as a state sponsor of hostage taking? Is that the place you are going with that?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: No, my view is that the administration ought to designate as wrongfully detained any People that the Venezuelan Authorities has seized wrongfully. After which there are methods to proceed to place strain on. Now, usually, that strain can be by way of sanctions. Right here, the administration clearly has taken army motion. As you have been mentioning, we’re nonetheless left with the regime. I imply, the Vice President is a part of the regime. Donald Trump says he is operating Venezuela. This isn’t going to finish nicely. Iraq didn’t finish nicely. Different efforts to attempt to do away with unhealthy folks, and we’re glad to do away with Maduro. I would prefer to do away with leaders in different nations, however you do not do it by way of pressure. That simply does not work out nicely in our expertise.
MARGARET BRENNAN: Proper and even on that time, the Secretary of State Rubio challenged me in saying, oh, we could not seize all these folks directly, however Legal professional Common- former Legal professional Common Invoice Barr was on Fox Information this morning, the person who put collectively that first indictment of Maduro, and he stated the intention was to scrub the place out of this prison group, so there’s going to must be comply with up motion. To be clear, do you oppose all Snatch and Seize operations of indicted folks?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Effectively, I do not assume we must be placing American women and men in danger in a scenario like this. I imply, I would have to take a look at each scenario, however once more, the motivation right here is about grabbing Venezuela’s oil for American oil firms. You already see people on Wall Avenue lining up, so let’s simply be actual as to what’s actually behind this operation. I imply, Donald Trump stated he was going to deal with the US. Now we have folks’s well being care prices going by way of the roof as a result of they refuse to increase the Inexpensive Care tax credit. In the meantime, he bails out Argentina and desires to run Venezuela for the advantage of American oil firms.
MARGARET BRENNAN: We’ll have to speak about all of the stuff you simply raised as we- in a future episode of Face the Nation. However clearly on the query of conflict powers, does the President have the authorized authority to do what he is doing?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: No, he doesn’t. I imply, that is–
MARGARET BRENNAN: You are on the Appropriations Committee. You’ve got bought energy. What are you able to do about it?
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Effectively, I labored with Senator Merkley already to supply a decision in the US Senate to chop off any U.S. taxpayer {dollars} to fund an assault in opposition to Venezuela. Republicans blocked us from doing it. So sure, we’ll proceed to push. In truth, I am certain we will have a vote on a conflict powers decision, most likely as early as this week, if not subsequent. Final time we provided these Margaret, Republicans voted no, all, however one or two. Senator Paul voted with us, possibly one different. However for probably the most half, Republicans are joyful to provide Donald Trump a clean test and give up their constitutional duties to Donald Trump,
MARGARET BRENNAN: Senator Van Hollen. Much more to speak to you about. Thanks very a lot for becoming a member of us right here at the moment.
SEN. VAN HOLLEN: Thanks
