Following President Donald Trump’s decision to order airstrikes on Syria, Oklahomans in Congress have been largely supportive of the move, a review by The Frontier found.
The contrast between the reactions of the congressmen to Trump’s order are stark in comparison to their responses to the Syrian missile strikes President Barack Obama sought in 2013.
Oklahoma Republicans called the airstrikes Trump ordered “justified” and “appropriate” and applauded the president on the action.
In 2013, Obama threatened to retaliate against Syria after hundreds of its own people were killed in a poisonous gas attack. He asked congress to decide whether the U.S. would use military force, but Congress wouldn’t give its approval, as many Republicans and Democrats opposed such an action.
Following Trump’s order, Oklahoma Republicans who issued statements all approved of the move, while all who took positions in 2013 opposed using force in Syria.
A survey by the Texas Tribune found similar results as Texas congressman weighed in.
See Oklahoma congressmen positions below (This story has been updated as statements were released):
Senate:
Sen. James Inhofe (R) –
U.S. Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla.
Stance in 2013 – Against
Stance Now – Supports
“The immediate and proportional airstrike against the Syrian’s Shayrat Airfield was a justified and appropriate response to the Assad regime’s indiscriminate and heinous chemical attack on Syrian civilians. Through this strike, President Trump signaled to Assad, Russia and the rest of the world that egregious violations of international law and norms of behavior will not go unanswered by the new administration. The United States, under the Trump administration, will play an emboldened leadership role worldwide; the days where our enemies don’t fear us and our allies don’t trust us are over.”
U.S. Sen. James Lankford
Sen. James Lankford (R)
Stance in 2013: Opposed
Stance now: Supports
“Bashar al-Assad is a ruthless tyrant who kills his own people and breeds terrorism throughout the Middle East. The latest chemical attack on innocent people is another chapter in a tragic pattern that has gone on for far too long. No one should expect the United States to ignore a dictator that commits war crimes and uses chemical weapons against his own people. Russia assured the international community that Syria was free of chemical weapons, but the Russian promises have proved false and they have demonstrated their inability or unwillingness to restrain Assad. It’s time for the international community to join the United States and demand that Assad step down and allow the refugees scattered around the globe to return to their homes and be able to pursue peace.”
House:
Rep. Tom Cole (R) –
U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-4th District
Stance in 2013: Against
Stance Now: Supports
“President Trump’s decision to act swiftly on Syria was just and decisive. I applaud him for taking action against the atrocities brought about by the Assad regime. Moving forward, the president should bring to Congress a clear and comprehensive strategy to protect American interests, deter reprehensible acts, and eliminate jihadi forces that are operating and destabilizing our regional allies. In doing so, Congress should have a robust debate and provide the president with the authorization for the use of military force.”
Rep. Frank Lucas (R) –
U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas, R-3rd District
Stance in 2013 – Against
Stance now: No statement released
Quote from 2013: “Upon returning to Washington, D.C., and participating in a classified briefing conducted by the administration, State Department, Office of the Director of Intelligence, House Intelligence Committee and the Department of Defense, I can assure the people of the Third District that I will not support any of the military options currently proposed and being debated in the U.S. House of Representatives. Military involvement in Syria is not in America’s best interest and President Obama has yet to put forth a plan that convinces me that we should get involved.”
Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R)
U.S. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-2nd District
Stance in 2013 – Against
Stance now: No statement released
Quote from 2013: “We have to take care of our own backyard before we can take care of anyone else’s.”
Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R) –
U.S. Rep. Jim Bridenstine, R-1st District.
Stance in 2013 – Against
Stance Now – At a town hall meeting April 11, Bridenstine said he believed the airstrikes were necessary and justified.
Quote from 2013: “Thus far, President Obama has failed to clearly define America’s national security interests in Syria or explain how a limited cruise missile strike would contribute to achieving our strategic objectives. I look forward to hearing the president’s case, but right now I’m skeptical.”
Rep. Steve Russell, R-5th District
Rep. Steve Russell (R) –
Stance in 2013: Russell was not serving in office.
Stance now: Supports
“We cannot stand by in silence as dictators murder children with chemical weapons. But military action without clear goals and objectives gets us nowhere. We look forward to hearing the president present a plan for Syria to the American people, for Congress to agree on bipartisan action, and for America to partner with the world community to help bring this treacherous conflict to an end.”
