Labrador Votes Against Military Aid for Syrian Rebels, Calls for Justice for Murdered Americans

Statement

Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-ID) today voted against President Obama's proposal to provide training and weapons to "moderate" rebel forces opposed to the Assad regime in Syria. Rep. Labrador issued the following statement:

"Like all Americans, I am outraged and saddened by the murder of two Americans by ISIS. I would support a targeted operation to hunt down the killers and win justice for the victims and their families. Instead, the president has engaged in a broad intervention without congressional approval and sought authority to arm Syrian rebels whose primary interest is removing President Assad.

"As I warned last year, regime change could lead to a worse outcome for America. While Assad is a brutal dictator, I still believe backing rebels allied with al-Qaeda and on the same side as ISIS in this civil war likely would bring to power even worse elements in Syria. Our focus should not be on resolving an age-old religious civil war, but on bringing to justice those who took the lives of our citizens."

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