Rep. Smith: 'Serious concerns' on Syria

Southeast Missouri's congressional representative on Tuesday expressed concerns about a possible U.S. military strike on Syria.

"In the Constitution, our Founding Fathers gave Congress the authority to authorize military action," U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, R-Salem, said in a statement. "Congress should use that authority to determine the best course of action in dealing with Syria.

"I have serious concerns about any military involvement in Syria because the situation has no clear national securities connections to the United States and victory of any proposed military action has not been defined. We should not put our men and women in uniform in harm's way without clear objectives and a sensible strategy," he said.

Also on Tuesday, House Speaker John Boehner voiced support for President Barack Obama's proposed legislation that would allow a strike on Syria. The president is seeking military action against Syria after a suspected chemical weapons attack reportedly killed more than 1,000 people there last month.

On Saturday, the president announced he would seek congressional approval before any military action against Syria.

Smith, who was elected in June to fill the seat of Jo Ann Emerson, did not indicate in his statement how he will ultimately vote on the bill.

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Suggestion for wire accompanying story :

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/obama-must-address-skeptics-lawmakers-about-syria