Congressman Gosar has previously said, barring a major new development, he will not support a declaration of war against Syria or authorize a military strike. “There is no clear mission from the President. There is no strategy. There is no exit strategy or plan to succeed. There is no U.S. interest we are protecting. To the extent the President says there is an international norm, that is why we fund the United Nations, to uphold international norms.”
In addition to the tele-townhall, Congressman Gosar reports that his constituent mail and phone calls are almost unanimous against intervention. “My office has received almost 2,000 emails, several thousand Facebook comments, and almost 350 phone calls in the last week. The emails are 99 percent against intervention, and the phone calls are 95 percent against intervention. For the first time since he was elected, President Obama has united all Americans, from all parties and all walks of life, against his plans for military aggression in Syria.”
Another Arizona representative, progressive Congressman Raul Grijalva, also weighed in on the war. “I cannot hope to understand the suffering of the Syrian people harmed by the ongoing conflict there. But emotions and first impressions cannot rule our foreign policy,” Grijalva said in a statement issued Monday. “If Congress is asked to vote to authorize military force, I will vote no – not because I doubt terrible violence is occurring in Syria, but because a hastily organized missile strike with minimal international support will only make things worse. The considerable level of international involvement means we have much better options.”