Democrats blast "indefensible" exclusion from briefing on boat attacks

• Administration officials briefed over a dozen Senate Republicans on the strikes, multiple sources told Axios. Democrats say they were excluded.
• Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Intelligence panel, called the move "indefensible and dangerous" in a statement Wednesday evening.
• Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) did not know about the briefing and was not invited, a source familiar with the matter said.

The big picture: Democrats want information on the strikes and the legal basis behind the attacks.

• The Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has reportedly produced a legal opinion justifying the strikes. Democrats say they've yet to see it.
• "The administration must immediately provide to Democrats the same briefing and the OLC opinion justifying these strikes, as Secretary Rubio personally promised me that he would in a face-to-face meeting on Capitol Hill just last week," Warner said in the statement.

The other side: A senior administration official told Axios that the administration has given Congress about half a dozen bipartisan classified briefings since early September.

• The Department of War, the official said, is continuing to respond to lawmakers' requests for information and is making senior officials available for questions.

Between the lines: A bipartisan group of House lawmakers will receive a briefing by officials from the Pentagon and Joint Chiefs of Staff on Thursday, Axios reported earlier Wednesday.

• But even some Republicans have complained about the transparency. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) told Axios earlier this month that "Congress isn't hearing enough" about the strikes.
• Senate Foreign Relations Chair James Risch (R-Idaho) told Axios last week that he has no plans "at this time" to hold an oversight hearing on the strikes.