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On Monday, Secretary of State John Kerry said it was “undeniable” that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime used chemical weapons on its people. Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat from Connecticut, one of only three senators who voted against arming Syrian rebels, called for a debate about intervention.
“What I want for us here is to be very sober in our understanding of what a targeted military strike means. It may mean a long-term very expensive, very costly engagement for the United States,” said Murphy on Monday’s All In. “And I fear that right now on this issue, our politics are being driven by some very legitimate short-term humanitarian concerns that may belie a much more costly endeavor in the long run.”
And how should the White House engage in this debate?
“I think the president should come to Congress here for a vote,” Murphy told MSNBC.
“And I think the president is right to be very careful in considering his response here and the actions of the United States. But given the fact that he’s taking that time, there’s no argument that there isn’t also enough time to come have a debate before Congress.”
Collier Meyerson