Syria

Last week, I joined many of my colleagues on a bipartisan letterto President Obama, requesting that he receive Congressional authorization before ordering U.S. military action in Syria. I appreciate the President's decision to respect the role of Congress and present its case to both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate this week.

The situation in Syria is very complex, and as we have seen with Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, intervention in any foreign nation can have far-reaching, international consequences. There is no doubt that the civil war in Syria is a tragedy and human rights disaster. Engaging our military should include a clear, attainable goal and consider whether a direct national security risk to the United States exists. Furthermore, as a world leader, we must consider the consequences to action, whether it be unilateral, in conjunction with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), or in conjunction with the United Nations (UN).

Congress is in the process of examining the evidence and deciding whether or not to grant Congressional authorization. I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me through Facebook and Twitter or by contacting our office. I share many of your concerns in engaging in this civil war and will be voting NO on the authorization of military force in Syria.