House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn on Friday separately called on President Trump to provide a plan for dealing with Syria, now that the United States has used cruise missiles against the country.
A spokesperson for Ryan, R-Wis., said Trump’s use of military force “was fully within the president’s authority,” because Syrian President Bashar Assad violated international standards by using chemical weapons against the population.
“It is now appropriate for the administration to consult with Congress as it considers next steps to resolve the long-running crisis in Syria,” spokesperson AshLee Strong said in a statement.
On the opposite side of the Capitol, Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas, told the Washington Examiner he would also like Trump to consult with Congress about the next steps to take regarding Syria.
“I’m interested in seeing what the president sends over under the War Powers Act,” Cornyn said. “I would like to know what the authorities are that he is relying upon to conduct the strike.”
Cornyn said for reasons “legal and practical,” Trump should try to get bipartisan support and consensus from Congress for what he plans to do.
“So we need to know what the strategy is, which is something we never got from Obama,” Cornyn said.
Earlier Friday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Trump had the authority to conduct the missile strikes without input from Congress. McConnell said he would consider a new Authorization for Use of Military Force, or AUMF, if Trump sends one to Congress.
