President Donald Trump is set to address House Republicans today at the Kennedy Center during a closed-door retreat, primarily focusing on GOP victories and the upcoming midterm elections, rather than the recent contentious capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. This marks Trump's first direct communication with the House GOP since the incident.

The briefing on the Venezuelan operation is scheduled for Wednesday, when both House and Senate members will receive detailed information from administration officials. The lack of clarity from the White House has sparked bipartisan demands for more details about the future U.S. policy towards Venezuela. Speaker Mike Johnson, after a leadership briefing, indicated that the U.S. is unlikely to deploy troops, framing the capture as a "demand for change of behavior by a regime," rather than a regime change.

However, skepticism remains within the GOP ranks. Senator Thom Tillis expressed doubts about achieving a peaceful transition without military involvement, a sentiment he does not support. In contrast, the Senate is preparing to debate a bipartisan war powers resolution to restrict future military actions in Venezuela, although past similar measures have not passed.

On the legislative front, GOP leaders are set to outline their 2026 agenda, which includes tackling another reconciliation bill and addressing health care and affordability issues. The House Freedom Caucus has already forwarded their policy objectives to Speaker Johnson, emphasizing fiscal restraint, border security measures, and blocking the Federal Reserve from issuing a digital currency.

Democrats, on their part, are strategizing to push for Venezuela-related votes and are using the upcoming Rules Committee hearing to possibly reintroduce their war powers resolution. They also plan to highlight the fifth anniversary of the January 6th Capitol attack, maintaining public awareness of the event.

As the appropriations deadline approaches, both the House and Senate GOP leaders are working to pass a second funding package to avoid a government shutdown, building on the momentum from the recent passage of a three-bill package covering various federal departments.

The political landscape in Washington remains charged as lawmakers grapple with foreign policy crises, upcoming electoral battles, and urgent legislative deadlines. The outcomes of this week’s GOP retreat and subsequent briefings could significantly influence the U.S. approach to Venezuela and shape the legislative agenda for the year ahead.

Reported by Meredith Lee Hill and Jordain Carney.