Here are the Brave Leaders Resisting the March to War

Sadly, as Glenn Greenwald points out, "...nothing unites people behind the leader more quickly, reflexively or reliably than war."  Unfortunately, most Republicans as well as many Democrats -- including Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer and House minority leader Nanci Pelosi -- have stated their support of Trump starting a war with a country allied with another nuclear superpower.  According to FiveThirtyEight.com's Perry Bacon, "Most Senators Support Trump's Syria Airstrike".  He provides a list, stating that only six senators have come out vocally against Trump's strike.  His list is very incomplete, but it's a good place to start.  Here are the leaders who actually learned something from our disastrous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Please lend your support to these individuals and message me we with any I'm missing at andrew@shrad.org.

Senators

Kirstin Gillibrand - Senator of New York

"The chemical attacks by the Assad regime in Syria are atrocities, a violation of international law that demands a firm response. But the President’s unilateral military action causes grave concern, given no authorization from Congress and no long-term plan. And there is no ‘military only’ solution to the suffering in Syria. Americans need answers frm the Admin abt their plan & how they'll bring coalition partners to the table for a long-term diplomatic solution."

Kamala Harris - Senator of California

"President Trump must consult with Congress to address the Administration’s lack of clear objectives in Syria and articulate a detailed strategy and path forward in partnership with our allies. The American people deserve no less.  The President said that images of slaughtered Syrian children contributed to his decision to take military action. That should also compel the Administration to rethink its misguided refugee policy and open our doors to the children and families fleeing ongoing violence and oppression in Syria and elsewhere."

Chris Murphy - Senator of Connecticut 

"Is this the start of a dangerous military escalation, where the Russians feel compelled to ramp up their support for their ally in response to U.S. intervention? We already have more than 500 U.S. troops on the ground in Syria—is the next step the creation of safe zones, as Sean Spicer suggested? That would require even more U.S. military assets, increasing the risk of direct conflict with Russia, ISIS, and Assad. How does any of this end, or get us closer to a political agreement that will actually help the people of Syria? President Trump seems not to have thought through any of this, or have any kind of broader strategy, but rather to have launched a military strike based on a sudden, emotional decision."

Rand Paul - Senator of Kentucky

"...actions often have consequences well beyond the obvious.  It is for this very reason that the Founders wanted a deliberate, thoughtful foreign policy, and when military action was needed, they wanted it debated and authorized by Congress."

Bernie Sanders - Senator of Vermont

“If there’s anything we should’ve learned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in which the lives of thousands of brave American men and women and hundreds of thousands of Iraqi and Afghan civilians have been lost and trillions of dollars spent, it’s that it’s easier to get into a war than get out of one. I’m deeply concerned that these strikes could lead to the United States once again being dragged back into the quagmire of long-term military engagement in the Middle East. If the last 15 years have shown anything, it’s that such engagements are disastrous for American security, for the American economy and for the American people."

Brian Schatz - Senator of Hawaii

"The Assad regime’s use of chemical weapons is abhorrent, but a military response is not the answer. ... A one-off strike may satisfy our desire to hold Assad accountable but it risks deeper escalation without any sense of direction or objective... The United States must focus on leading a diplomatic effort among our partners and allies in the region to achieve a political solution that results in a post-Assad Syrian government that brings stability to the region."

Tom Udall - Senator of New Mexico

"We're heading rapidly toward another Middle East war with no strategy, no clear time frame or cost, and no authorization from Congress."

House Representatives

Karen Bass - Representative from California

"If we truly care about protecting the Syrian people that were brutalized by the chemical attack earlier this week, we should open our country to Syrian refugees and engage in multilateral foreign aid efforts. Hurling 59 tomahawk missiles at Syria is short-sighted, it is not the way to peace."

Keith Ellison - Representative from Minnesota

Raul Grijalva - Representative from Arizona

Mark Pocan - Representative from Wisconsin  (jointly, as leaders of the progressive caucus)

“In the absence of an imminent threat to the United States, the president must seek Congressional authorization prior to any act of war. ... These unauthorized attacks could pull the United States into a regional war and escalate this unprecedented humanitarian crisis."

Tulsi Gabbard - Representative from Hawaii

"It angers and saddens me that President Trump has taken the advice of war hawks and escalated our illegal regime change war to overthrow the Syrian government. This escalation is short-sighted and will lead to more dead civilians, more refugees, the strengthening of al-Qaeda and other terrorists, and a direct confrontation between the United States and Russia—which could lead to nuclear war."

Barbara Lee - Representative from California

"I was the lone vote against the 2001 [Authorization for Use of Military Force].  Syria strikes are far beyond the scope of this war authorization. @SpeakerRyan needs to bring a vote.

 Ted Lieu - Representative from California

"March to war in #Syria without a strategy is both dangerous and ILLEGAL. #Trump cannot go to war against #Assad w/o congressional approval."

Honorable Mention: Tim Kaine, for recognizing Trump's actions as unconstitutional, despite his misguided embrace of military action against Assad

“Assad is a brutal dictator who must be held accountable for his actions. But President Trump has launched a military strike against Syria without a vote of Congress. The Constitution says war must be declared by Congress. I voted for military action against Syria in 2013 when Donald Trump was advocating that America turn its back on Assad's atrocities. Congress will work with the President, but his failure to seek Congressional approval is unlawful.”