The State Department is accusing Democrats of performative "grandstanding" by demanding a sweeping Venezuela oil deal briefing then postponing so the Senate could leave town early.Four senior Senate Democrats demanded documents they already knew were coming, according to material reviewed by Fox News Digital — and then the Senate rescheduled a congressional briefing on the agreement planned for Oct.1, 2026, so they could break for fall recess.The group of lawmakers were seeking more information on the Pentagon's involvement in an agreement with North American Blue Energy Partner (NABEP) that gives the Department of War a 35% stake in one of Venezuela’s largest oil producers.
State says the lawmakers had known for weeks that administration officials planned to brief the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and provide documents on the deal on Thursday.The department went forward with delivering copies of the U.S.government’s strategic partnership agreement with NABEP to the committee, claiming it did so despite the briefing being pulled down "as a courtesy."TRUMP TOUTS ACCESS TO 65 BILLION BARRELS OF VENEZUELAN OIL IN DEAL HE SAYS WILL SLASH GAS PRICESSecretary of State Marco Rubio testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Venezuela, in Washington, DC, United States on January 28, 2026.
(Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images)"Copies of the USG Strategic Partnership Agreement with NABEP for your Members are in the SFRC front office," a senior State Department official wrote."Each Member has a folder with their copy."State Department Assistant Secretary for Global Public Affairs Dylan Johnson claimed Senate Democrats canceled the briefing so they could "skip town and go on vacation.""This is pure grandstanding," Johnson wrote on X.
"When they sent this letter, they had known for weeks that we planned to brief them and provide the documents today, on October 1."A congressional source familiar with the planned briefing disputed State’s ch...