Rand Paul: Obama Acted 'Illegally' in Fight Against ISIS

Tom Pennington/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., criticized President Obama for launching airstrikes in Syria this week without seeking congressional approval, saying he did so “illegally.”

“In the face of war, the president is just as arrogant. Instead of coming to Congress, he illegally acts on his own,” Paul said at the Value Voters Summit in Washington, D.C. Friday.

Paul said he does support action against ISIS, but “we should act within the rule of law.” 

“Had I been president, I would have called for a joint session of Congress, I would have laid out the threat and I would have requested congressional authority to respond as the constitution dictates,” he added. “He missed a chance to galvanize the country. He missed a chance to become a great American leader.”

Paul warned that the administration’s foreign policy endeavors in the Middle East have threatened Christians in the region as “radical jihadists exploited the vacuum.” He particularly criticized the decision to arm the Syrian rebels in the fight against ISIS, saying that Congress is “sending more of your money to these haters of Christianity.”


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