Syria Missile Strike: Rep. Jan Schakowsky Responds

EVANSTON, IL — Following the Trump administration's decision to launch more than 50 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield on Thursday night, 9th District Democratic Congresswoman Jan Schakowski called for Congress to return from recess to debate a new foreign policy to deal with Syria. She asked President Donald Trump to rescind his ban on refugees and said any further military action would require fresh authorization from Congress. Rep. Schakowsky is an Evanston resident and a member of the House Intelligence Committee.

Read her full statement below:

“I am outraged and devastated by the Assad regime’s chemical slaughter of innocent children and families in Syria. This attack on innocent civilians cannot go unaddressed. The latest atrocities of the Assad regime demand a strong response.

“Last night’s missile strikes are by no means a solution to the ongoing conflict. President Trump must engage with Congress to develop a clear, comprehensive strategy for the U.S. role in dealing with Syria. Any further U.S. military action in Syria by law would require Congressional approval and passage of a new Authorization of the Use of Military Force. Congress should be called back immediately to debate that. In the meantime, I call on President Trump to abandon his cruel ban on Syrian refugees seeking safety from the deadly situation in their country.

“I also call on the international community to condemn the crimes of the Assad regime against the Syrian people. The failure of the United Nations Security Council to do so is unconscionable. The U.S. must actively engage with our allies to respond to Assad’s ongoing massacre of Syrians and seek a diplomatic resolution to the violence.”

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