Despite many constituents strongly disagreeing, John Boehner has verbally backed Obama after he called for American military action in Syria after learning Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, possible use of chemical weapons in the country’s civil war.
“I’m going to support the president’s call for action. I believe my colleagues should support this call for action,” Boehner said. “We have enemies around the world that need to understand that we’re not going to tolerate this type of behavior.”
“The use of these weapons has to be responded to and only the United States has the capability and capacity to stop Assad and to warn others around the world that this type of behavior is not going to be tolerated,” said Boehner after meeting with Obama. “I appreciate the president reaching out to me and my colleagues in the Congress over the last couple of weeks. I also appreciate the president asking the Congress to support him in this action. This is something that the United States as a country needs to do. I’m going to support the president’s call for action. I believe my colleagues should support this call for action. We have enemies around the world that need to understand that we’re not going to tolerate this type of behavior.[emphasis me] We also have allies around the world and allies in the region who also need to know that America will be there and stand up whether it is necessary.”
Other conservatives, among others, are urging support for military action including Nancy Pelosi and Eric Cantor.
Pelosi sent a letter to her colleagues Tuesday urging support for military action saying, “It is in our national interest to respond to the Syrian government’s unspeakable use of chemical weapons.”
President Barack Obama was confident that Congress would pass a resolution. Obama said, “So long as we are accomplishing what needs to be accomplished, which is to send a clear message to Assad, to degrade his capabilities to use chemical weapons, not just now but also in the future.”
After congress returns from summer recess next week, the house and senate will be expected to vote on whether or not they will also be in agreement with Boehner, Pelosi and Cantor, in their task to seek approval of the military action.
Main Article Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
Joint statement from House GOP leadership on Syria: http://t.co/OZmw06R4MA
— Speaker John Boehner (@SpeakerBoehner) August 31, 2013