House Dem: ‘Haven’t we sacrificed enough?’

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) argued Wednesday that the U.S. should not get involved in another war, hours before President Obama address the nation about the threat of Sunni militant group Islamic State of Syria and Iraq (ISIS).

Rangel said that while ISIS had committed atrocities, the U.S. should not get involved in another major conflict. 

{mosads}”We see these atrocities committed, something should be done,” Rangel said of the videos released by ISIS showing the beheadings of two American journalists.

“But by us? Haven’t we suffered enough? Haven’t we sacrificed enough?” Rangel, a Korean War veteran, asked on the House floor.

Rangel said that Americans shouldn’t take military members’ service for granted.

“So few members of Congress have to attend the funerals of those dedicated men and women,” Rangel said. “People think that people are volunteering to put themselves in danger. Well, the families don’t always feel these same way about it.”

While many polls over the years have shown that Americans are largely war-weary, recent polling indicates that a majority want the U.S. to take action against ISIS. An NBC/Wall Street Journal found that 61 percent of American voters believe military action against ISIS is in the U.S. interest.

The Obama administration is seeking an authorization from Congress to arm Syrian rebels in the fight against ISIS. Consequently, Congress may vote on an authorization to allow the administration to use $500 million from the $85 billion allocated for Overseas Contingency Operations in the stopgap funding bill unveiled Tuesday.