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Kaptur statement on bombing of Assad government airfields in Syria

April 7, 2017

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09), a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement:

"The use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime is the latest in a desperate and violent war that Assad is waging on his own people. Neither Congress nor the American people know the full extent of how this Trump Administration action was planned and executed. We do know the Assad regime in Syria consistently commits horrendous atrocities against its own people, but the U.S. bombing of a Syrian airbase unilaterally, undertaken outside a global coalition to remove the Assad regime, is a high-risk action that could cause terrorist retaliation against U.S. targets anywhere in the world. The Trump Administration's advance notification to Russia of its intentions before the strike occurred, raises further questions about coordination with Russia, a government largely responsible for propping up the Assad regime.

"There is no doubt that our troops are ready to complete any task that is before them, and the U.S. must fight tyranny and oppression, but Congress needs to have a say. We shouldn't rush headstrong into conflict, and as a Nation, we must always weigh the consequences of such action. I urge President Trump to consult with Congress to seek authorization and consult with the American people before any further action in Syria."