According to Politico sources, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) pushed Obama administration officials “to take military action to punish Syrian President Bashar Assad in response to reports that he used chemical weapons in his nation’s ongoing civil war.”
Last night, Obama administration officials (sans Obama) held an unclassified 90 minute conference call after a growing number of Congress members demanded to be consulted regarding military action in Syria. Susan Rice, Chuck Hagel, John Kerry, Director of National Intel James Clapper and Sandy Winnefeld, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke for the administration.
After the call, Pelosi made a statement asserting: “It is clear that the American people are weary of war. However, Assad gassing his own people is an issue of our national security, regional stability and global security,” Pelosi said in a statement after the call.
Sources on the call reported Pelosi “said we should do something,” the second source said, adding that Pelosi was advocating “for action.”
Party leaders, Congressional committee chairmen and ranking members were on the call.