Politicians from both parties in Kansas and Missouri have voiced their support of President Donald Trump's decision to launch airstrikes in Syria Friday night. The bombings targeted chemical weapons research and storage facilities after a recent suspected chemical attack on civilians in Syria.
U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, commended the president for responding quickly to the suspected chemical attack.
"I support this effort and believe the president has the full authority to take these actions," Blunt said in a written statement
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri, agreed it was the right thing to do.
"We had to do something. Having said that, I do resent the fact that Congress was not involved," Cleaver said. "The President talked about what we were going to do for five days before the U.S. actually launched [the air strikes], so he certainly had time to sit down with Congress."
In 2013, Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-Kansas, was one of 119 Republicans who signed a letter calling on then President Barack Obama to consult Congress before bombing Syria. Yoder did not express the same concerns about President Trump's orders Friday night. In a written statement, he called it a "carefully considered decision."
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, said in a statement she supported the targeted attack, but reiterated that "it needs to be part of a broader strategy."
Andrea Tudhope is a reporter for KCUR 89.3. Follow her on Twitter @_tudhope.
