Barrasso: War Powers Push Would 'Tie the Hands' of the President

President Donald Trump had "full authority" to order airstrikes in return for a chemical weapons attack that killed several civilians in Damascus on April 7, Sen. John Barrasso said Tuesday, and he opposes a push for a new authorization of military force measure being promoted to limit the president's hand.

"I support the president, and he had full authority in Syria," the Wyoming Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "Those people promoting it, some want to authorize the use of not much force."

The measure is coming through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to which Barrasso belongs, and he accused some of those behind the measure of "trying to tie the hands of the president his ability to act as commander-in-chief in keeping us safe and secure. So I oppose the effort and will try to stop it in the Senate.

The resolution, presented by Sens. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., and Tim Kaine, D-Va.,will revisit authorizations Congress approved in 2001 and 2002 for the wars in Afghanistan, following the 9-11 attacks.

However, Barrasso said he doesn't necessarily think the action is in direct response to the airstrikes, aimed at Syria's chemical manufacturing capabilities, because the measure is "something they've been working on over the years."

He pointed out that he opposed the measure when it was first introduced as well, because he believes "they're trying to limit the president's authority that I believe he has."

The senator also said he does not think that if the proposed act was in place, it would have prevented Trump from taking action, as he already has the authority to launch such attacks.

"I don't want to limit that authority," he said. "It also talks to the role the committee has in terms of getting a secretary of State in place."

In terms of Trump's actions, "if you want to broadcast your deterrents, the goal is to deter [Syrian President Bashar] Assad from using chemical weapons, you have to have the capacity and the United States has the military capacity to do it."

Meanwhile, Barrasso thinks that Mike Pompeo will ultimately be confirmed as secretary of State, despite Democrats' opposition.

"The Democrats have been so obstructive in part of their resistance movement to anything the president tries to do in terms of getting his team in place," he said. "There are many members who voted, Democrats who voted for Mike Pompeo when he was confirmed to be CIA director who seem to be held hostage by the liberal left who don't want President Trump to have his team in place."

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