A senior Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee wants congressional leaders to “delay the recess” and debate a measure authorizing President Trump’s future use of military force in Syria.
{mosads}”I think the congress needs to give the stamp of approval for this action and go on, push Syria ultimately to where we can get a political settlement,” Sen. Sen Bill Nelson (D-Fla.) told reporters Friday afternoon.
Asked how quickly the debate should happen on an authorization for use of military force (AUMF), Nelson said, “As far as I’m concerned, we would delay the recess and go right into this session on the use of military force.”
Senators are set to head home for a two-week spring recess starting Friday afternoon, after receiving a closed-door briefing with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford on the Syria strike.
House members left town on Thursday for the break.
Several GOP senators on key committees agreed that Congress should consent to future sustained military action following the Trump administration’s strike on an airfield in Syria after Tuesday’s deadly gas attack.
“If we went on a sustained campaign against Bashar Assad, I think it would be advisable for the president to seek consent of congress with authorization,” said Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, referring to Syria’s embattled leader.
Sen. Luther Strange (Ala.), another Republican member of the panel, argued that Congress did not “need to act in order to give the president the power to do what he did in Syria.”
However, Strange said, “going forward, depending on what the administration is proposing … Congress should absolutely be involved.”
Watch the video above to hear the lawmakers in their own words.