Rep. Justin Amash (R-Mich.) said on Sunday that the Obama administration has “embellished” its public statements on the situation in Syria.
Amash, who strongly opposes military action in Syria, was a guest on CBS’ “Face the Nation” this week, along with Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). The Michigan Congressman said that the evidence presented to Congress during briefings is “not as strong” as what the Obama administration has been telling the public.
“I think that there are some things that are being embellished in the public statements,” Amash said on Sunday. “I would ask the administration to be more forward with the public about this, because we all need to have the information.”
Amash didn’t elaborate on what aspects he thought were being embellished, and a spokeswoman for Amash’s office could not supply additional clarification due to the classified nature of the briefings.
“Having attended multiple classified briefings on Syria conducted by the administration, it is Rep. Amash’s belief that the classified information does not match some of the administration’s public statements about the chemical weapons attack,” Hayley Alexander said in an email to Red Alert Politics.
The Michigan Congressman also said on Sunday that his constituents do not support war in Syria and that President Barack Obama will not get the votes he needs to take action in Syria, despite the President’s confidence on that matter. Amash said the information provided to members of Congress — via a conference call in the end of August that included Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel — did not convince him that the U.S. should take military action in Syria.
“The briefings have made me more skeptical about the situation,” he said.
This piece has been updated to include additional information.
