House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) is seeking answers on Syria from President Barack Obama. While Boehner doesn’t deny that chemical weapons were used in the Middle Eastern nation, he asked 14 questions of the US president about US military intervention in Syria.
Boehner also stated in a letter to the president that Obama needs to consult with Congress before authorizing any military action in the region.
The House Speaker added that Obama needs to “provide a clear, unambiguous explanation of how military action — with is a means, not a policy — will secure US objectives and how it fits into your overall policy,” reports USA Today .
Boehner added as well that Obama should justify to the American people why it is necessary for the US to get involved in Syria’s civil war . He asked several questions regarding the situation as well.
Among the questions were how the administration determined the chemical weapons attack warrants military action. John Boehner also asked President Obama what the purpose of a missile strike on Syria would be, what it would achieve, and if more strikes could take place at a later time.
Yahoo! News notes that a growing number of lawmakers are coming out either for or against a strike in Syria. John Boehner appeared to approve of Obama’s expected course of action in Syria. He also didn’t insist that Obama get lawmakers to vote on an intervention in the country.
Boehner explained that the US has “immediate national security interests” in Syria, adding that “America’s credibility” was caught up in addressing “the alarming scale of the human suffering” going on there.
The House Speaker’s letter to President Obama came on the same day as 111 House lawmakers signed a letter from Rep. Scott Rigell (R-VA) that called on the US president to seek a vote of congressional approval before engaging in any military intervention in Syria.
The lawmakers explained that acting without their authority would violate the Constitution. However, the Obama administration contended that it isn’t legally required for the president to seek authorization to act in the case of immediate national security interests. It is unclear if Obama will take Boehner’s suggestion and make his appeal to the American people.