Commentary: WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 14, 2018) - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on President Trump’s decision to order a missile attack on Syria:
“The United States together with the international community has a responsibility to deter Bashar al-Assad and every regime watching him from thinking that they can gas their people with impunity, commit genocide, or employ internationally prohibited weapons. However, any military action taken by the U.S. should be limited in scope, have clear objectives and must be authorized by Congress."
“It is important to realize that the actions taken by the administration are aimed at a state regime, not a non-state terrorist organization and therefore fall well outside the current authorization for military force. I call on the President to seek Congressional authorization for any further military force.
“With a historically unstable White House it is more important than ever that Congress be consulted on military action, especially when it risks drawing us into war. Nearly everyday we see impulsive and temperamental decision-making drive the Trump Administration's agenda and we cannot risk our national security or disaster abroad by letting this president go it alone.
“We must reassert active diplomatic engagement to help solve this complex crisis, and it is critical that we stop ceding leadership on the international stage to our adversaries and work to bring an end to this humanitarian disaster.”