Welch Statement Following President Obama's Address to the Nation

Statement

Representative Peter Welch gave the following statement after the President addressed the nation tonight:

"I have appreciated the President's clear-eyed restraint to date in responding to multiple, serious threats in this region. I have supported his use of military force to protect American personnel still in Iraq and to provide humanitarian assistance to refugees in cooperation with the competent Kurdish military in northern Iraq. I fully agree with him that American combat troops should not be deployed in the region. And I applaud his leadership in forcing Iraqi leaders to form a coalition government to respond to the threat posed by ISIS.

Tonight, the President outlined a broader strategy to confront and eliminate the threat posed by ISIS to the region and to America's security interests. I remain skeptical about the effectiveness of air strikes in Syria and am deeply concerned about the possible unintended consequence of propping up President Bashar al-Assad, a brutal dictator who rivals ISIS in the use of unspeakable tactics on his people.

Congress now must fulfill its constitutional responsibility and vote on the President's plan. I look forward to learning the details of the plan and I urge House leaders to ensure a swift and deliberative debate and an up-or-down vote. There is simply no reason why Congress should duck and dodge this solemn responsibility."

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