PORTLAND Three high-ranking Oregon lawmakers on Wednesday joined more than 100 other U.S. Representatives, urging the president to get approval from Congress before ordering military force in Syria.

U.S. Representatives Kurt Schrader, Peter DeFazio and Earl Blumenauer all signed the bipartisan letter to Obama.

Read the full letter here

Respectfully, it is the constitutional power of Congress, not the President, to approve military action in situations when we have not been attacked or threatened with an attack. After more than a decade of war and billions of dollars spent, the United States can no longer afford to be the world s police, Schrader said in a press release Wednesday.

Rep. DeFazio reiterated the use of military force should be made by the Legislative Branch of the government rather than the Executive. He said because the situation is not of immediate national security, the president does not have the authority to attack.

The use of chemical weapons against civilians in Syria is appalling and outrageous, said Rep. Blumenauer. However, rather than rushing into an amazingly complicated and treacherous arena, Congress and the American people should have the opportunity to consider our actions and be mindful of the consequences.

Background: US mulls objectives, outcomes of a strike on Syria

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