Texans in Congress Back Trump's Military Action in Syria — for Now

WASHINGTON -- After President Donald Trump ordered a military strike on a Syrian airbase Wednesday night, most Texans in Congress came out in support of the limited action. But across the board, the Texans called on Trump to consult with Congress before any further military incursions into the embattled region.Sen. John Cornyn, R-TexasThe Senate’s second-in-command backed Trump’s move, calling it a “welcome demonstration of America’s commitment” to helping the region in an interview on Fox News and later adding on the Senate floor that the decisive actions send “a clear message to Assad and our allies.” But the Texas Republican added that he looks forward to Trump consulting Congress “so we can come up with a unified strategy to defeat and replace Assad.”Quoting retired Gen. David Petraeus, Cornyn said one question will be more important than any other as Trump begins to make the case to Congress and the American people that using force in Syria is justified: “How does this end?”Sen. Ted Cruz, R-TexasContrasting Trump’s actions to the Obama administration when “our friends didn’t trust us and our enemies didn’t fear us,” Cruz said in an interview on Fox News that he is “encouraged in the opening months of the Trump administration about foreign policy and national security.”“Any military action in Syria must be justified as protecting the vital national security interests of America - including decisive action to prevent chemical weapons from falling into the hands of radical Islamic terrorists - and I look forward to our Commander-in-Chief making the case to Congress and the American people how we should do so in the days ahead,” Cruz said in a written statement.Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort WorthAs chairwoman of the defense appropriations subcommittee, which controls the Pentagon’s funding, Granger will be critical player in any future debates about the scope of U.S. action in Syria. On Wednesday night, she was one of the strongest supporters of Trump’s move.“I cannot more strongly applaud President Trump's decisive actions against the Government of Syria,” Granger said in a written statement. “For years we have watched as the Syrian people endured unimaginable atrocities at the hand of their own government. The world cannot allow this type of evil to go unchecked. Tonight the United States has shown we are ready to lead the fight.”Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-AmarilloThe other key Texan on military policy as the chairman of the House Armed Services committee, Thornberry limited his comments on the airstrike to a brief message of support.  Continue reading...

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