55 House members say Obama needs approval from Congress in Syria strikes
By Rebecca Shabad - 08/28/13 10:25 AM ET
Fifty-five lawmakers including eight Democrats have signed a letter that says President Obama would violate the Constitution by striking Syria without first getting authorization from Congress.
“Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution,” states the letter, spearheaded by Rep. Scott Rigell (R-Va.).
Rigell intends to deliver the letter to the White House this afternoon and will continue to seek signatures until noon, his communications director, Kim Mosser Knapp, tells The Hill.
The Democrats who have signed the letter so far are Reps. Zoe Lofgren (Calif.), Rush Holt (N.J.), Gene Green (Texas), Beto O’Rourke (Texas), Peter DeFazio (Ore.), Kurt Schrader (Ore.), William Enyart (Ill.) and Timothy Walz (Minn.).
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REUTERS:
Video from an opposition media office in the Damascus suburb of Erbin, one of the sites of last week’s alleged chemical weapons attack, shows the UN chemical weapons inspectors leaving an inspection location on Wednesday under the protection of rebels.
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