Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, made the following statement regarding changes to the President’s effort to train and equip moderate Syrian forces:
"The Administration has had a weak, inadequate policy in Syria and a weak, inadequate policy against ISIS. Adjusting one program, even if it were successful, will not solve the problem. Whatever else he does, the President must be willing to stand up and bolster our defenses, and he can start by signing the Defense Authorization Bill, which passed with strong, bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate.”
The National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House and Senate this month with overwhelming bipartisan majorities, recognizes the President’s policy was failing and includes a number of measures to bolster America’s stance against ISIS. These include tight congressional controls over funds he would designate for training and equipping moderate Syrian forces and new authorities for the President to directly arm Sunni tribes and Kurdish forces in their fight against ISIS in Iraq."
