Merkley: ‘Military action not the only tool we have’

Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Friday night regarding President Trump’s strikes in Syria:

“Bashar al-Assad has carried out a brutal campaign of attacks on his own people. The use of chemical weapons is unconscionable and he must be held accountable.

“But military action is not the only tool we have. And if President Trump is going to use military force, he must seek congressional authorization. The power to make war rests with Congress in Article I of the Constitution.

“We have learned in Afghanistan and Iraq the dangers of launching military actions without clearly articulated objectives and exit strategies. If the president wants to wage war, the American people and Congress need to be part of that decision.”