David DeMille

ddemille@thespectrum.com

U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, joined Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, in introducing a bill Tuesday that would require presidents to get congressional approval before taking military action over humanitarian concerns.

The bill comes on the heels of President Donald Trump’s order last week to fire missiles at a Syrian air base in response to that government’s use of chemical weapons in an earlier attack.

"Since the U.S. cruise missile strikes against the Shayrat Air Base in Syria last week, President Trump and several senior administration officials have indicated that the United States may be prompted to act again in retaliation to other attacks against civilians or for broader humanitarian purposes," Lee said in a written release. "We are all angered by the pictures and stories from Syria in recent years, and the desire to retaliate for these unfathomable attacks is understandable. However, over the past 200 years, the separate and distinct roles of the executive and the legislative branches to declare war, launch military attacks, and defend against or retaliate for an attack against the United States have become blurred."

The proposed legislation, the Military Humanitarian Operations Act, would require congressional approval before any military operations conducted to fulfill a humanitarian purpose where hostilities are anticipated.

"While such operations and interventions are well intentioned, recent history has shown they are often risky and may result in unintended consequences that are detrimental to our national security,” Lee said.

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