The foreign policy fissure in the Republican Party is being hoisted back into the spotlight as the United States lays the groundwork for military strikes in Syria.
The two Republican 2016ers who have issued the strongest statements against military action thus far are Sen. Ted Cruz and Rick Santorum.
“The United States Armed Forces don’t exist to be a policeman for the world and I certainly hope the reaction isn’t lobbing some cruise missiles in to disagree with Assad’s murderous actions,” Cruz said on Fox News Tuesday.
“The idea that we need to be punishing Assad and doing things to tip the balance in favor of al Qaeda who are running the rebel forces to me is a very questionable tactic of itself,” added Santorum on his radio program.
Sen. Marco Rubio hasn’t issued a formal statement on the most recent developments regarding the use of chemical weapons but is already on the record in favor of ousting the Syrian leader.
“It is in the vital national security interest of our nation to see Assad’s removal,” Rubio said in April.
Republicans will be united when it comes to their critique of the Obama administration’s inaction or lack of cohesive policy with regards to the war-torn Middle Eastern country, but the more difficult quandary for the party going forward is the simmering battle over the broader use of the U.S. military in foreign conflicts.
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie traded opening jabs on this front last month, but the heightening urgency over how to respond to the Syrian regime highlights how quickly the debate can be resurrected.
Democrats in the 2016 mix appear to be standing by President Obama.
“We cannot sit by and watch innocents being slaughtered by the use of chemical weapons, and so I will support President Obama as he decides how best to engage, but to the extent we can knock out delivery devices, so we can make it impossible to create another chemical attack on innocent people. Those are the types of strategies and operations that I hope the president decides to employ,” New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand told YNN.
Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s reaction was a bit more circumspect on the use of military force, saying “I think that they need to get all their facts done. But I think that if taken, it should be taken with allies.”
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