Massachusetts Lawmakers React To Syrian Airstrike

Lawmakers in Massachusetts were blunt in their response to President Trump's ordered targeted military strike on an air base in Syria. The consensus? You should've asked us, and you better know what you're doing.

Reps. Joe Kennedy III, Seth Moulton, Jim McGovern, Katherine Clark, Mike Capuano and Bill Keating, as well as Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey – all Democrats – had some choice words for the president following the first direct U.S. military attack on the government of President Bashar al-Assad since the country's civil war began six years ago.

Kennedy, who represents Massachusetts' 4th District, said Assad's chemical weapons attack warranted a response, but "this country doesn't fight wars without giving the American people a say."

"Any plans for military engagement in Syria must come before their elected representatives in Congress for a debate and a vote," Kennedy wrote in a statement on Twitter. Read the congressman's full remarks below:

McGovern, Massachusetts' 2nd District representative, also decried Assad's actions as "barbaric" but said in a statement, "every president must obtain congressional authorization to launch military strikes and Trump is no exception."

Sens. Markey and Warren and Rep. Moulton, who represents Massachusetts' 6th District, stressed the importance of having a plan moving forward. Moulton – himself a veteran of the Iraq war – questioned the military strategy behind the strike and criticized the decision to use military action while scaling down acceptance of refugees.

"We cannot stand by in silence as dictators murder children with chemical weapons," read a statement from Moulton and Rep. Steve Russell, a Republican from Oklahoma. "We look forward to hearing the President present a plan for Syria to the American people, for Congress to agree on bipartisan action, and for America to partner with the world community to help bring this treacherous conflict to an end."

Moulton wrote on Twitter that "war doesn't get any easier than launching a few Tomahawk missiles."

Warren and Markey cautioned against taking further action without first developing a concrete strategy.

"Expanded military intervention in Syria requires action by Congress," Warren said in a statement, according to MassLive. "If President Trump expects such an authorization, he owes the American people an explanation of his strategy to bring an end to the violence in Syria. We should not escalate this conflict without clear goals and a plan to achieve them."

Read additional statements from Massachusetts' representatives below.

Katherine Clark, 5th District:

Mike Capuano, 7th District:

Bill Keating, 9th District:

The U.S. launched Tomahawk missiles at the Syrian military's Shayrat Airfield on Thursday night in response to the Syrian government's chemical weapons attack earlier in the week.

Photo - Pentagon