Congressional Black Caucus Pressed To Stay Quiet On Syria
WASHINGTON -- As the Obama administration lobbies Congress this week to authorize military strikes on Syria, the chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus has asked caucus members to refrain from discussing the Syria debate in public.
Numerous media outlets reported Thursday that Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) sent an email to members of her caucus asking them "to limit public comment" on the Syria debate -- a move that drove one CBC member to complain to Foreign Policy's The Cable that Fudge was trying to quiet the growing chorus of opposition in Congress to U.S. airstrikes against the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
But Fudge's spokeswoman, Ayofemi Kirby, said the congresswoman simply wanted to make sure members had all the information available before making up their minds. Members of the CBC are scheduled to receive a classified briefing on Syria from White House National Security Advisor Susan Rice this coming Monday.
"The chair believes Congress and the American public need more information, and she awaits more briefings between now and early next week before commenting further," Kirby told The Hill.
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