Throughout his presidency, has amply demonstrated he will not hesitate to defend our nation, our citizens, and our allies against threats to our security. The limited strikes that the president plans are necessary, and appropriate. Which is why they have garnered support on both sides of the political aisle. Leaders haveate declared their full support. For and policy expert from the left right and center have strongly endorsed the action. There are many nonpartisan issues left in washington. This is one, or at least it should be. President obama has asked congress for their support. As the elected representatives of the American People about because he knows that investing the legislated legislative branch in our policy choices helps ensure maximum potency. We are going to leave this susan rice taped event from earlier. I am buck mckeon, chairman of the House Armed Service committee. We have not had a chance, between us to talk, over much of this, so i do not know exactly where adam is on all of this. Major overlaying concern. I appreciate the president and the administration reaching out to us, to members of congress to bring everybody up to date on things, and try to answer questions as Many Congress members have. Ourave had opportunity for members of the committee to ask and receive answers to their questions. Now at 5 00, the principles are going to be up here to inform the whole congress on the latest happenings, the latest intelligence. We have been able to get a lot of rethinks in the last week and 10 days. Many members of congress have not been able to get that, and theyre just getting them permission now. Tomorrow we will learn from the Armed Services committee and the concerned that i have is that i think it is immoral to continue to ask our men and women in uniform to go out and carry out missions without having all of the equipment, tools, training, and things that they need to return home safely. Sequestration has been hanging over their heads now for a year. They have not had a budget for the last several years. Weve been operating on continued resolutions to my and it seems to me that this is an august this is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together to solve multiple problems. The funding for this year for the government runs out the end of this month. We have not passed the appropriation builds, we have not passed a continuing resolutions to i asked the continuing resolutions. I asked the president last week, i told him my concerns at the end of the meeting, he said he understood my concerns on sequestration, and he would like to fix it also. Last friday i asked for a waiting we are still for response. I am sure the president is very busy this week. He has a lot on his plate. I think it is a wonderful opportunity for many of us to come together to try to resolve the problem in syria and the problem that we are facing in our military. Adam . Thehank you, i appreciate bridge in would have today raising we had today. I want all the members to be as informed as possible on this decision. This concern about sequestration, i would not tie these issues together, but i would like to see a result results. Resolved. Were working on a plan to see how we would hold assad accountable for the use of these weapons. How this counterstrike would really impact things in series. Syria. I look forward to further briefings and hearings and getting information on what the plan is Going Forward. I think were going to answer couple of questions. Interactive is raising your undecided even after this briefing your undecided . Are these issues that youre not getting in these briefings . Is something you have to think about it, it is not like a math problem or is committing get a solution. There are a lot of things you contemplate. This is a very important decision, and im going to give as much time as i need to myself to gather information. Do you have a proposal that you would like to make to the president , just to get rid of the sequester part for the year . A year ortted a bill a year and a half ago now to take care of all of sequestration for a year. To move it back wall we passed other bills. Those kinds of things need to be done. I think it is a great opportunity. I think people are really andsed on the continuing ongoing problems confronting our military. The president , in the last couple of years served the troops in afghanistan, but then he cut the military branches and budget. To ad transfer of strategy pacific strategy and then cut the military budget. I think,sing, irreparable harm, and we need to address it. I think it is every bit as important, and i think does something, what everybody is focused, a good time to come together to fix this problem. What about the amendment later this week . Are they considering it . We will see. Do you have any reaction to the proposal proposed by the russians today to have syria give over there chemical weapons . Something, that is something that came up in the meeting. That is something that the secretary of state and the president or greg. Look at very carefully. Are going to have to look at very carefully. To go off dont need onto changes to just cause more delay. I think it is something that we are pursuing. I think anything that can save us from going into another war is worth pursuing. Do you have a reaction to the russians . Course i have to agree with what he said. It is not real at this point it is been offered, we have not heard the syria spots res ponse. For syria to give up all of their chemical weapons would be the best possible response. Do you think that would be a credible offer, but do you think this is just a delay tactic . It is hard to say at this point. Does the it ministration give any sense of how seriously their contemplate this proposal . A we have intel, and we have military intel, we do not have the state department. That is something where that is meeting to be addressed in the process. I think right now we are talking in the hypotheticals, and until there is some chance to really look at and studied, i would just i just came from a meeting that was both republicans and democrats, and they are rightly skeptical. In the main chance, it is just First Impressions right now. Certainly, you have to be supped ago about it you have to be skeptical about it. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. You have been watching live coverage of a quick media rest conference by representatives buck mckeon and adam smith, chair and Ranking Member of the Armed Services committee in the house. Washington remains very focused on what is going on in syria and the potential military action. Hissenate has introduced resolution, and members on the senate floor are talking about that. We have three of four meeting positions up on capitol hill. This one right here you can see now, were showing you members going into a members only briefing by secretary hegel and joint chiefs chairman martin dempsey. That is happening right now, so the members are going into the sip secure Briefing Room to hear from them. The white house held a link only briefing as well this morning engthy briefing this well as well this morning. , the senate ise due to vote on his resolution. Theednesday, and right now that nineis reporting republicans are leaning yes on that resolution, 17 democrats are leaning yes, but 16 republicans are leaning no, and six democrats are leaning yes. Undecided, only about 52 members right now have reported in which way they are leaning, will or which way they are voting. Were watching live coverage from the capitol complex with members going into the rabbit raising. Senator bob corker is live on the senate side, lets listen in to him. This is an important time for him. He needs to make his case. To senateis coming up democrats tomorrow. I understand they made the same offer, or at least i hope he did, we are trying to verify that. Hementioned last night that did with republicans. This is a big week. He has to make a really strong case. I did mention to him last night that i thought the comments in sweden were not particularly helpful. Being thethe red line worlds redline. There are many of us, me in particular, who while we care deeply about chemical weapons and certainly know that that is involved in the National Norms and everything that we stand for the country, i am very supportive of this trade but a big elephant to me of this. Is theig elements to me help of the United States of america. Commanderinchief, whether you like him or not, whether you supportive and not, when it comes to dealing with other issues in the region and other issues around the world, that is an important these of our foreign policy, and certainly people will be watching. That he will reestablish that this was a red line for him, and for the United States of america, and take ownership of the issue. It is a big week. I know there are conversations that they meet that may be taking place. It is difficult to tell whether it is serious or not regarding russia and syria and the potential develop than relative development relative to chemical weapons. What i know is this, is that there is no way that those discussions are even real. It is very difficult to determine if those are real statements backed by real desires to do something about the chemical weapons in syria. Willw those discussions not be taking place with what happened last week in the Foreign Relations committee. [indiscernible] it is very difficult to know if it is real, what do under what timeframe frame, and what serious response will be. I do not think you guys will be even asking questions about how the United StatesForeign Relations committee, the United States senate for galatians committee Foreign Relations committee had not done what we had done last week by passing authorization. President , to me, has got to make a case for the American People. He estimate a case to the United States senate, and im thrilled that he has come to Congress Asking for this authorization. I think that was important. I support the authorization, i think he did some good we we did some good work last week narrowing it. Thatany and ministration would send it up this way gave it very broad, and we tailored and narrowed it. I think it is a very good authorization. Again, i hope to support it. It is now to the president took him to con aggress and make his case to come to congress and make his case. Yet, to be candid, i have to call in to the person who can most townley whether this is real or not, and expect you him to hear from very soon. I do not know the details of it right now. There has been a lot that has happened. Would bethink we having any discussion, or would they saying anything if we did not have what we had last week interested whether the waters are muddied or not, i looking for resolution. It matters to me not if things are complex or if the water is muddy. It matters to me if we get results. If this generates a result, fine. I cannot speak to the credibility of what is being reported today. What you think of this french governments been forward on these issues. Li, wherein molly ma the french government has been forward, and i appreciate that. I do not know what has happened over the last 24 hours, so i cannot speak to any of that in france, but i do appreciate the leadership that france is showing on an international issue. Being, i think everything is open to assumption. Thank you. Threats on American Television made by alassad give you pause . This,get a vote in meaning United States decides what its course of action is, and no question, all participants get a vote. We do not know what the response might be. I understand the complexities of you take action you do not know what the action will be on the other side. To display any degree of, i do not know what you might call it, arrogance, or you do not know what he other side is going to do. I do not think that is something , i know it is not way on my igh on my mind. The potential is there now quite iraq, iy, in a rock sat down with the king of jordan three weeks ago. It is already destabling jordan and lebanon. I understand the complexity of taking action. At the same time, i do think that we have other regional efforts, and i think it is very important for us to take a strong position regarding what happens. I strongly support it, and i understand some very unfortunate things could happen as a result. Action,r is taking no and what comes of that. I think those risks are greater than taking the kind of action that some described in private by our military leaders. Said . T can what be i think a lot more clarity can come from his comments on what our position will be in syria. Also, over the longer haul, over what our plan is. As i mentioned, i am very involved in the syrian issue. I was in syria before this came, and i am been back in the region three times this year. I am dismayed at this oninistrations lack of syria. Im dismayed that we would publicly state that we would support them, and then to be humiliated in the refugee camps, we have not done the things we would told the we told the world we would do. Strong on thevery fact that he has made a statement about what his red line is the it is his red line, and certainly the international isms and what his policy relative to syria and not over just the next few weeks, but the longterm. We have together make that term make that happen. I do support this authorization. , had we taken different actions earlier would we be here, i do not know. I think based on where we are today, what we know today, i really do believe the authorization that we have crafted is the right course of action for our country. The president is the person that has to got to sell this to the American People, and he to sell it to the United States senate. I couldnt stress that more strongly last night. I hope he will rise to vacation and do the things he needs to do over the next several days. They do all very much. Very much. U all corker,was senator bob republican of tennessee. He is at the very northern tip of the capital where the subway underground subway goes back to the Senate Office buildings. Halfway in the capitolis the new visitor center. Here is a stakeout position as it is called, where members are walking into a members only briefing. S the serious situation situation, joint chiefs hegel and dempsey are there. We will continue to look at live events that are happening here in washington this evening on syria. We want to hear your voices on the congressional debate over syria, whether or not the house and senate should vote to support military action. Well begin with a call from 10 in florida on our republican line. Quickt a couple of points. Im totally against this. Reading the international newspapers, the killer leave the russian newspapers, 12 people were arrested with smuggling is easy toand it draw the conclusion that the rebels or somebody among the it to is using to drag us into the conflict. Birth defects are through the roof. Endsurgeon needs to go in country opened but the fire out outside your body. Iraq . Do you feel about iraqwas totally against war in 1991. That was tim in florida, and this is jill in texas. Im not for this war in syria , i do not think it is relevant, i think it is just a coverup. What is america, what are we going to demonstrate by going into syria . It is not iraq where you have the oil. Africa, theret of is nothing for us there. What are we doing, what is the benefit . That was joe in texas, and this is robert in michigan. Thank you for excepting the call. Im totally against this thing, the veryen from beginning. Im a veteran, my family is filled with them. I think iraq is a proxy for saudi arabia, and i think this llyjust total lead tota focusing on petrodollars. It has to stop right now. If you want to make a comment on our phone lines go to our. Acebook or www. Cspan. Org you can also make comments below previous comments. No to aican people say strike against syria. To ignores continues the American People, that. He will finally be obvious to a comment on our Facebook Page from danny says that we have ine powerful people congress, and im sorry i past the age to serve. The were showing you is capitol visitors center, which is under the rotunda, underground on the east side of the capital. , museums, but it also has secure facilities for members of congress to go in for these types of members only secure briefings. That is what we are watching members walk by. Minutes ago,t 25 so some members are showing up a little belated, but that is why youre not seeing many members. We want to show you another shot were media is hanging out a little bit outside the capital. Some senators are walking down to this position on the way back to the offices, and as they do they are talking about syria. The Senate Majority leader on c span2 is talking about the resolution to the senate. Theyre coming to the floor of the senate on their own coats of and senator indiana has spoken. Kirsten gillibrand of new york has also just recently spoken. Some are for, some are against, and some are not sure where theyre going. Well continue to take your calls and track these live events. Itsnd quincy mats as jews in massachusetts. I am against this whole situation in the middle east. Ive been against it for a long time. I believe that we should just take all of our troops and get out of their totally. Im fed up on what is going on. Of itt even take care does it people dying on the innocent people dying on the streets. Tired of the countries. I am done with that, but i have just had it. Tim on the democrats line. Im totally against the war two. I think it is russias place, because it is in their backyard to deal with the problem. I think the russian president over there as more a cowboy and more sophisticated will then our own president. Im a democrat, and im ashamed of what we have in the United States office. No leadership at all good it is is only not a leader, but the wrong person for the job. It comes to a redlining chemical viewns, is that in your needing to be any sort of International Response . Countriese other backing hemp, yes, because even bush, becaus