Democratic House and Senate members should oppose military action in Syria if they want to reflect the views of their base, according to a congressional memo being circulated Wednesday by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.
“You now face a decision that involves life and death. This decision also involves billions of dollars. And it will send a signal to your constituents and the world about our nation’s morals and our ability to make strategic, goal-oriented decisions,” PCCC co-founders Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor said in the memo. “Your progressive base stands firmly against military action in Syria.”
The memo included a survey that received 57,000 responses from members of the committee: 73 percent said they opposed U.S. military action in Syria; 18 percent said they supported it. Perhaps as an explanation, 81 percent said they believed initial bombings would lead to deeper U.S. involvement in Syria, and 80 percent said that limited bombings would not achieve U.S. goals for Syria, whatever they are.
The PCCC, which raised $2.7 million for congressional candidates in 2012, will be making calls to Congress and holding local events on Syria in the coming days.
The memo is being circulated on the same day that the Congressional Progressive Caucus is receiving a White House briefing in support of U.S. military strikes in Syria.
The full memo is below.
