by Admin on September 2, 2013 in News
Iredell County Representatives Virginia Foxx and Robert Pittenger both issued statements over the weekend concerning Syria.
Statement from Representative Virginia Foxx:
“Today President Obama announced his intention to seek Congressional authorization for military action in Syria in response to the Assad Regime’s recent escalation to the use of chemical weapons against the Syrian People.
“The President is right to seek congressional authorization prior to any military engagement in Syria. In fact, my Republican colleagues and I have been demanding this from the White House.
“The onus is on the President to make the case to Congress and to the American people for his desired military response and answer why he believes it is in the United States’ national interest to involve itself in Syria’s ongoing violence. As always, my vote on the matter will be based on a careful evaluation of the facts presented by the President and on the actual legislative text we are asked to approve.”
Statement from Representative Robert Pittenger:
“There are no good actors in the Syrian civil war, and the United States must be very careful not to become entangled in this internal conflict.
“However, we should all be concerned by Syria’s substantial stockpile of chemical weapons and the risk these weapons could fall into the hands of Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, or Hamas and used to kill hundreds of thousands of Americans.
“Under the Constitution, the responsibility to declare war rests with Congress, and I will not support an open-ended or ambiguous plan. The President needs to present Congress with a clear objective for military action which protects the American people and innocent Syrian civilians.
“ While I am currently overseas meeting with key U.S. allies , I stand ready to cancel my plans and return to Washington at once should the President decide to call Congress into session prior to September 9th. In the meantime, I will use this trip to gather additional information to assist Congress in making an informed decision.”
