Shea-Porter Opposes Military Action in Syria

In a statement issued Tuesday night, U.S. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) said she is opposed to the U.S. taking military action against Syria.

"After attending classified and unclassified briefings on Syria and speaking with people across New Hampshire, at this point, I oppose the United States taking military action against the Assad regime in Syria," Shea-Porter said. "While Syrian President Assad has committed vicious crimes against his own people, and I especially condemn the use of chemical weapons, it is hard to see at this time how a military air strike against Syria will fix this."

"If the United States launches "a sustained and heavy attack," she continued, "we run the risk of swapping Assad out for some equally ruthless group. If we launch a smaller, targeted attack, we run the risk of emboldening President Assad and causing more casualties.

Barring any changes to the situation, Shea-Porter said she will vote against the current resolution authorizing President Obama to take military action in Syria.

"I do not believe that military action will help resolve the civil war in Syria, and it might lead to more chaos and more regional instability," she said. "I am not against all war, but in order to justify this act, there has to be a threat to national security, a strong strategy, and a good possibility of success. At this moment, I do not believe the situation in Syria meets these criteria, and I fear that the United States could be drawn into a lengthy and deadly conflict."

Instead, she said the conflict in Syria should be resolved through a negotiated political settlement.

Sens. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) also issued statements about the situation in Syria on Tuesday.

Ayotte said she will participate in a classified briefing tomorrow in the Senate Armed Services Committee focusing on the president's request for an authorization to use military force in Syria.

"The decision to authorize military action is one of the most serious decisions we confront," she said. "This briefing will provide an opportunity for me to ask important questions and scrutinize the administration’s plan – including what the impact of failing to act would have on our country and countries in the Middle East, including Syria, Israel and Iran. I look forward to learning more about the President’s objectives and his military strategy for achieving them."

She added that she thinks President Obama should address the American people in a prime time address before Congress votes.

Shaheen said she returned to Washington Tuesday to be briefed by top administration officials on the situation in Syria, attending a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing where Secretary of State John Kerry, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey all testified on the potential use of force in Syria.

"If we stand quietly aside while Assad uses chemical weapons, we will seriously hurt our own national security interests and signal to other tyrannical regimes around the world, like Iran and North Korea, that they can use weapons of mass destruction without consequence," Shaheen said. "The question now, however, is how we respond. We must determine the best way to make clear that it is unacceptable to use weapons of mass destruction while also protecting our country from becoming mired in a civil war."