On Tuesday, the Assad regime carried out a deadly chemical attack in Khan Sheikhun, Idlib that killed at least 58 civilians including 11 children. This barbaric act came just days after White House press secretary Sean Spicer made disturbing remarks indicating that the U.S. will no longer call for the removal of Bashar Assad from power in Syria. This followed similar statements made by US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
This departure in policy has drawn bipartisan opposition from members of Congress in both chambers. Among them included statements from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-SC, and House Foreign Affairs ranking member Eliot Engel, D-NY, and tweets from Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-NH, House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa ranking member Ted Deutch, D-Fla., Rep. Luke Messer, R-Ind., and Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla.
Let your members of Congress know they must demand the Trump Administration seek accountability for the perpetrators of the attack in Khan Sheikhun, and that there cannot be a legitimization of a war criminal who has murdered at least half a million people. It is absolutely urgent that lawmakers make clear that any departure in U.S. policy that does not include Bashar Assad stepping down as part of a political transition is utterly unacceptable and counterproductive. A peace agreement in Syria, and the permanent defeat of ISIS, will never be achieved as long as Bashar Assad remains in power.
Please use the links below to make a call to your Representative and Senators.