Sen. Ted Cruz joined the growing chorus of lawmakers who are calling on President Obama to follow the Constitution and to call Congress back to Washington in order to debate the nation’s response before he responds to the suspected chemical attacks on citizens in Syria.
Mr. Cruz, Texas Republican, said that the United States may have reason to intervene in Syria but that Mr. Obama must make the case to Congress, which has outstanding questions about why the administration is not seeking to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad and whether the Assad regime was behind the chemical weapons attack in the suburbs of Damascus that killed civilians.
“When and if President Obama makes a decision on Syria, he must immediately call a special session of Congress and persuade the American people that what he proposes is critical to the defense of our nation,” Mr. Cruz said. “I am confident all members of Congress would willingly return to Washington to work with him on this issue.”
Mr. Cruz said that Mr. Obama’s comments suggest the nation does not face an imminent threat, so only Congress has the authority to declare war.
He said the U.S. should take the lead of the the British House of Commons and the Israeli Knesset, which have called emergency meetings to take up the subject.
“In Washington, D.C., crickets are chirping,” Mr. Cruz said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.