Sens. Kaine, Cardin, and Manchin React To President Obama's Request To Delay Vote

6:03 PM, Sep 10, 2013   |    comments
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Video: Did the President wait too long to take action against Syria

Video: Va. Senator Tim Kaine (D) talks about Syria


WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- Ahead of his address to the nation, President Obama is now, according to several Senators, asking the Senate to delay a vote on a Congressional resolution authorizing force.

The President spent over an hour meeting with both Republican and Democratic caucuses,  and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid now says there's no artificial deadline to vote on a resolution authorizing a military attack on Syria over its alleged use of chemical weapons on its own people.

"Over the last 24 hours, we've had remarkable changes in what people are talking about. Let's see what happens," says Reid.

Syria's Foreign Minister says his country will give up it's chemical weapons and sign a treaty banning their possession.

There's a lot of hope in Congress that the United States can avoid military action. But not much trust in the Russians... or the Syrians.

"If we can do it though, and get verification, then that's fine," says Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md). But it shouldn't delay us from giving the President the tools he needs to make the world safer.

A little delay is exactly what West Virginia's Joe Manchin is looking for. 45 days in a war resolution for the Syrian's to give up their chemical weapons. "The Syrians say they accepted," says Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). "The Russians say they offered. Their words are on the line."

Virginia Senator Tim Kaine says it was the President's threat of force that brought the Syrians this far.

"Whole lot of Virginians, a whole lot of Americans are hoping this is a breakthrough. Is this a breakthrough?" I asked Kaine. "We'll see. But I will tell you, if we can accomplish this, we won't be just avoiding something bad. This would be something positive."

Perhaps it would guarantee that Bashar Assad can never again attack civilians with chemical weapons.

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