The Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to pass a resolution that would authorize a military strike against Syria.
Both of Arizona's Senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, are on that committee, and they both voted in favor of the resolution.
The resolution passed the committee with a 10-7 vote.
From the New York Times:
The committee's bipartisan leaders pressed forward with a resolution limiting the duration and nature of military strikes, while Mr. McCain demanded more - not less - latitude for the military to inflict damage on the government of President Bashar al-Assad.The Washington Post has a pretty cool graphic showing members of Congress' support for military action in Syria, which shows only about 20 percent of Senators supporting it, and even fewer House members.
The approved resolution would limit strikes against the Syrian government to 60 days, with the possibility of 30 more days upon consultation with Congress, and it would specifically block the use of ground troops. But to retain the support of Mr. McCain, considered crucial to the authorization's final passage, the committee toughened some of the language.
Also recommended reading from the Post: "9 questions about Syria you were too embarrassed to ask."
Here's what Flake's office had to say after his vote today:
United States Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today voted in favor of a resolution to authorize military action in Syria as a direct response to the chemical weapons attacks on Syrian civilians.
"As commander in chief, President Obama already has the authority to conduct a limited strike such as the one he has asked Congress to authorize. This president's reasons for coming to Congress in this instance were political, not constitutional," said Flake.
"I believe in a strong commander in chief who takes actions as warranted and stands by them, which is why I voted in favor of the resolution in committee. After reviewing both the classified and unclassified evidence, I am convinced that the Syrian regime did launch a chemical-weapons attack, and it is in our national interest that it faces the consequences."
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