A Republican congressman said Thursday that Congress should debate authorizing military force in Syria, following the President's comments suggesting he'd take action there soon.
"If we're going to escalate this to a great degree, it seems to me you've got to have this debate in Congress. That's what the Constitution clearly spells out. Let's have that debate," Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican who serves on the conservative and libertarian-leaning Freedom Caucus, told CNN's "New Day."
The comment comes after Trump on Thursday followed up on his assertion that"Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming."
He attempted to cloud the timing of the potential strike, saying, "Never said when an attack on Syria would take place. Could be very soon or not so soon at all!"
The Trump administration, like its predecessor, has used the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force-- which was passed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks -- as legal justification for strikes against ISIS and last year's attack on the Assad regime in retaliation for a different chemical attack on civilians.
Jordan on CNN added that having Congress authorize of the use of military force on Syria is "what the founders envisioned."
"They wanted a full debate so that the American people would be engaged, that the American people could weigh in through their directly elected representatives in Congress and we could decide when this happens, how this happens," he continued.
"I also understand that what Assad did, this is as evil and wrong as it gets and deserves some kind of response," he said.
