Sens.Udall, Lee, Murphy and Paul introduce bill to keep federal agencies from funding military operations in Syria

In a bipartisan effort Thursday, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Mike Lee (R-UT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Rand Paul (R-KY) introduced legislation to prohibit the President from using any funds on activities that would escalate U.S. involvement in the Syrian civil war.

Utah Senator Mike Lee

The bill, “To restrict funds related to escalating United States military involvement in Syria”, would ban the Department of Defense, the CIA and all other intelligence agencies from funding any military, paramilitary or covert operations in Syria.

The legislation would not affect humanitarian aid.

These four members of Senate Foreign Relations Committee were the lone votes in Committee against authorizing the President to arm and train rebels fighting the forces of President Bashar al-Assad in an ongoing civil war.

Each Senator commented on the situation in Syria and the proposed legislation:

Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.): “I am deeply disturbed by the current situation in Syria and atrocities committed by President Assad’s regime and other militant groups inside Syria.  The ongoing humanitarian tragedy deserves the attention of the international community.  But there are too many questions about how the President’s decision to arm the Syrian rebels will be handled, and unfortunately many of those answers are being kept secret.  We don’t know where the money is coming from, who the arms are going to, and whether the arms are going to individuals who have the capabilities to maintain a chain of custody of those weapons.  This would not be acceptable in any standard sale of weapons to another government and should definitely not be acceptable for sales to rebel groups we know little about.  We need to place a check on the President’s unilateral decision to arm the rebels, while still preserving humanitarian aid and assistance to the Syrian people, and that is why I’m introducing this bill.  Bottom line: We should not get involved in another civil war in the Middle East without a clear national security interest.”

Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT): “The conflict in Syria has been going on for over two years, yet there are many questions surrounding the composition and goals of Syrian opposition groups and the interests of U.S. national security that need answers.   Any military involvement in Syria, including the arming of Syrian rebels, needs to be authorized through Congress, where concerns can be publicly debated and the American people can have a say.   We have to ensure that we are not arming extremist groups who seek to cause chaos in the region and harm the United States and our allies.   The long-term objectives of increased involvement in Syria are vague, as are the necessary commitments and costs.  The United States cannot be involved in more nation building in the Middle East.”

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT): “I’m deeply skeptical about plans for military intervention in Syria, given the dangerously fractured state of the opposition, and the very real risk of American weapons and money falling into the hands of the same terrorist organizations we’re already fighting around the world.  We should be extremely wary of allowing the United States to be drawn into a complicated proxy war that could mire our country for years at a potentially incalculable cost to U.S. taxpayers and America’s reputation at home and abroad. Our focus should be on increasing humanitarian assistance to refugee populations and opposition groups instead of injecting more weapons into the conflict.  At the very least, the American people deserve a full and honest debate on the issue in the full Congress before our nation makes a commitment to becoming more deeply involved in the Syrian conflict.”

Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY): “The President’s unilateral decision to arm Syrian rebels is incredibly disturbing, considering what little we know about whom we are arming. Engaging in yet another conflict in the Middle East with no vote or Congressional oversight compounds the severity of this situation. The American people deserve real deliberation by their elected officials before we send arms to a region rife with extremists who seek to threaten the U.S. and her allies.”

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