Kirksville Daily Express - Graves Voices Concerns Over Syria

News Article

By Taylor Muller

U.S. Congressman Sam Graves is waiting before taking a stance on whether the American military needs to intervene in the Syrian civil war, adopting a "wait and see" attitude ahead of any official word from the White House.

But Graves did express concern over the use of U.S. military forces by President Barack Obama without consulting with members of Congress and also if the U.S. should be involved.

"I'd question whether we have any role here or not," Graves said during a listening-post meeting at A.T. Still University attended by about 75 people. "We [in Congress] don't think he should act militarily without talking or consulting with Congress. We're waiting and waiting."

Graves' answer came after being prompted by a question on whether he believed the U.S. should even be involved in the Syrian conflict.

But regardless, Graves said he has seen the Obama Administration move forward with military action without Congressional discussion or approval.

"We [in Congress] certainly don't think he can act without consulting with Congress, but he's done it before. He did it in Libya," Graves said.

The northern Missouri congressman spoke briefly to open the meeting before fielding about seven questions ranging in topics from the U.S. Farm Bill,the looming debt-limit debate and defunding the Affordable Care Act.

On the Farm Bill, Graves said he believed the crucial legislation and included crop insurance would be there for America's farmers.

"The funding will be strong," he said. "It will be there."

And while the temporary crisis was pushed off during the last Congressional debate over the debt-ceiling limit, Graves said it will once again come to a head.

"It's hard to tell at this point if the support is there to do something on the debt limit," Graves said.

But he minced no words in calling out the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, insisting that the U.S. House of Representatives would continue its efforts to repeal the measure but with a Democratically-controlled Senate, a complete repeal was unlikely.

"But we will continue to try," he said. Graves, chair of the Small Businesses Committee, said he still believed the law has serious flaws.

Asked about the ACA's implementation and effects on rural health care areas and access to crucial care, Graves said he did not know what the real impact would be.

"No one knows. No one knows anything," he said.

Graves' visit to northeast Missouri continued after his Kirksville stop with similar listening-post meetings in Canton and Hannibal later Thursday.

Source