April Educate Congress
On Thursday, April 6, 2017 the United States illegally attacked Syria launching 59 tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase. This attack was launched without Congressional approval or oversight at a cost of $1.5 million per missile; the airbase was not significantly damaged and no critical assets were destroyed.
US military intervention in the region has proven, for the past 15 years, to lead to more violence and chaos. The Administration should use the tragedy of the chemical attack not to further escalate this seven-year-old carnage, but to push all sides for a ceasefire and a political solution so that the suffering of the Syrian people can finally come to an end.
The Constitution is crystal clear. Only Congress can authorize the type of military force the President just unleashed on Syria. Congress must debate and vote on Donald Trump’s new war in Syria and prevent any new attacks.
We must reject the false choice that says “accountability” can only be found at the tip of an American bomb. The U.S. cannot bomb its way to peace in Syria. If Donald Trump truly wanted to help the victims of this tragic war, he could easily reverse his plans to significantly cut federal funding that goes towards alleviating the humanitarian crisis. If he really believes that the deaths of small children in Syria is an “affront to humanity,” he would immediately rescind his executive order blocking those same children from finding safety from the ravages of war by coming to the United States.
Additionally, due to the continuing potential for undue influence of foreign interests on the personal business interests of Donald Trump and Rex Tillerson, Congress must assert a higher degree of responsibility for maintaining appropriate foreign policy positions.
We also urge you to cosponsor S 532/HR 608 – Stop Arming Terrorists (Paul/Gabbard). This bill prohibits the use of federal agency funds to provide covered assistance to: (1) Al Qaeda, Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), or any individual or group that is affiliated with, associated with, cooperating with, or adherents to such groups; or (2) the government of any country that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) determines has, within the most recent 12 months, provided covered assistance to such a group or individual.
We believe peace is always the wiser path in our complex world, and we
support those who lead our nation courageously toward peace.