All three members of Vermont's Congressional delegation are expressing enormous concern over President Obama's decision to deploy special U.S. operations forces in northern Syria.
They say the administration has not developed a coherent strategy to fight the terrorist group ISIS and that countries in the region must step up and play a leading role to resolve this crisis.
Rep. Peter Welch
Rep. Peter Welch doesn't think the Obama Administration has the legal authority to send the 50 troops to Syria. Welch says the president is relying on a military authorization that Congress approved following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
"That is a pretty threadbare rationalization or justification. Bottom line, Congress has to act. This is our job to do; the president's got to make his own decisions,” says Welch. “But Congress is essentially abdicating its fundamental responsibility on the question of whether American resources and lives are committed to war operations."
Welch wants the President to present Congress with a new War Powers Resolution. Welch says this approach will allow full debate over this issue and it's likely that he would vote no.
"Bottom line, Congress has to act. This is our job to do; the president's got to make his own decisions. But Congress is essentially abdicating its fundamental responsibility on the question of whether American resources and lives are committed to war operations." - Rep. Peter Welch
"There's just no strategy that's been laid out to suggest that the intervention of U.S. forces is going to be able to bring to bay either ISIS or the ongoing civil conflict between Sunni and Shia,” says Welch. “The bottom line is if there are boots on the ground over there it has to be their boots not our boots. Ultimately there's got to be a political resolution on this."
Sen. Patrick Leahy
Sen. Patrick Leahy says there's no way that the United States, acting on its own, can affect the outcome of this crisis in Syria.
"I am so worried that a lot of people are ready to stand up and say, ‘Oh the United States, if they just step up will solve this,’” says Leahy. “Well let's debate that issue. I don't think we solve this anymore than we solved, so-called solved Vietnam, by going to war there."
Leahy says he wants other countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia and Iraq, to commit troops to fighting ISIS.
"I am so worried that a lot of people are ready to stand up and say, 'Oh the United States, if they just step up will solve this.' Well let's debate that issue." - Sen. Patrick Leahy
“When you have forces in the region greatly outnumber ISIS instead of them sitting around saying what's the United States doing to take care of us,” says Leahy, “They better start standing up and taking care of themselves.”
Sen. Bernie Sanders
In a prepared statement, Sen. Bernie Sanders said he's concerned that the United States "is being drawn into the quagmire of the Syrian civil war which could lead to perpetual war in the region." Sanders says the crisis in Syria must be solved "diplomatically and not militarily."
