House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Thursday called for a new Authorization for the Use of Military Force as President Trump weighs strikes in retaliation for Syria’s suspected use of chemical weapons against civilians.
Pelosi said that while Trump’s actions were “proportionate” last spring when he ordered a missile strike against a Syrian airfield, Congress should first grant him new authorization if he decides to expand on those actions.
“Our members believe, as do I, that we need a new AUMF,” Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters. “We had a meeting yesterday on some of these subjects, and of course the president says ‘maybe I will, maybe I won’t. I’ll let you know in 24 hours, 48 hours.’
“Up to a certain point, as what he did last year, was proportionate,” Pelosi said of Trump’s strikes on Syria last spring. “Anything beyond that, he will need a new authorization for the use of military force.”
Pelosi pointed to former President Barack Obama’s push for an AUMF in 2013 in the wake of Assad’s use of weapons against Syrians, which Republicans rejected.
“That’s what we need to do now if the president intends to do anything more than the proportionate, discreet strike on a facility for a particular purpose and a limited amount of time,” Pelosi said.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, however, said Trump already has the authority he needs to strike back at Syria.
“He has the authority under the existing AUMF,” Ryan said Thursday. “What I would hate to do is have an AUMF that ties the hands of our military behind their backs. That makes it much more difficult to respond, to keep us safe, because they have the authority to do that now.”
Pelosi also took issue with the president having military leaders around him while talking to the press about the FBI’s raid on the office of Michael Cohen, his personal attorney, on Tuesday.
“Let me take offense at the president having our distinguished stars and stripes around the table. Our leaders of our military around the table, and he took the occasion to use most of the time with the press to talk about what happened with his lawyer,” Pelosi said. “I mean, really? This is the oath we take to protect and defend — our first responsibility.”
