WASHINGTON \u2014\u00a0As President Trump contemplates military action against Syria for a spate of chemical weapons attacks against civilians, lawmakers are sending him mixed signals on how to proceed.
The possibility of military action against Assad\u2019s forces raises a host of legal and foreign policy questions, as Russia\u2019s military is engaged alongside Assad\u2019s. The suggestion of U.S. military intervention \u2014 which McCain is urging \u2014 received immediate pushback from Senate Democrats and encouragement from some Republicans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a Thursday press conference attributed the attack to Assad\u2019s forces, calling Assad\u2019s future role uncertain, with “no role for him to govern the Syrian people.” He further warned Moscow, “It is very important the Russian government consider their support for the Assad regime.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the Senate Foreign Relations Committee\u2019s top Democrat, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., said it would a “very hostile act” against Congress if Trump pursued military action without at least consulting lawmakers first and a potential violation of the War Powers Act.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It\u2019s up to the president to tell us, meet with us, explain it, get our confidence, and it\u2019s our responsibility for Congress to weigh in as to what\u2019s appropriate,” Cardin said. “He has no authority to go into Syria against the Assad regime. That would violate the War Powers Act.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cardin said that if Trump came to Congress with a plan, they would delay the Easter recess to pass a war authorization. That authorization would have the best chance, he said, if it was narrowly focused on chemical weapons in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Presidents who could not get an authorization passed at least consult Congress. If Trump were to do otherwise, “It would be a very hostile act,” Cardin said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., who led failed efforts to replace the 2001 authorization on the use of military force to fight the Islamic State group, agreed with Cardin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I don\u2019t know what the White House is thinking about, but we\u2019re going to look at anything they do very carefully,” Kaine said. “It\u2019s a significant humanitarian atrocity, but if there is any contemplation about military action against Syria, the president would need to do what President Obama did and come to Congress with it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On the opposite side, McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., recommended U.S. military action to ground Assad\u2019s air force as soon as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“If the airplane flies, it gets shot down, and if we need to, we could crater the runways, which would be easy enough to do,” McCain said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McCain said he stopped short of making the recommendation with Trump on the phone the day before, but emphasized the need for action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“We don\u2019t have to be Barack Obama,” McCain said he told Trump. “The worst thing you can say you\u2019re going to do is say you\u2019re going to act and don\u2019t act. That was Barack Obama.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russia has reportedly conducted airstrikes out of Syrian airbases, since intervening on behalf of the Assad regime in 2015. That raises the possibility its assets would be hit in this scenario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But McCain suggested now was the time to stand up to Moscow, over its war crimes in Syria, its invasion of Crimea and its interference in U.S. elections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I think the Russians, as they always have, will not want a confrontation with the United States of America. And if they do, they will lose, because we are superior to them militarily,” McCain said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said his office is examining what legal authorities Trump has to take short-term steps militarily in Syria.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There\u2019s no way the president anticipates some long term effort, but let\u2019s see what they propose,” Corker said. “There has to be some appropriate response, and I know they\u2019re developing those \u2014 and I want to see what that is before I say this is appropriate or that.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he supports military action to stop Assad from gassing his own people and believes the Trump has the legal authority to strike. Rubio declined to prescribe tactics, but said he was open to U.S. ground troops in the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It was clear to anyone who saw it that the president was deeply and personally moved by the images coming out of Syria,” Rubio said. “I think we\u2019ll look back at this moment as when this presidency evolved, I believe, in a stronger direction.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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