Conservative lawmakers are taking to Twitter to describe the overwhelming opposition they are hearing from their constituents back home to the United States bombing Syria.
A sampling of those tweets from Republicans in the House of Representatives:
Constituents who have contacted my office by phone or mail oppose action in Syria 523-4 so far.
— Rep. Andy Harris, MD (@RepAndyHarrisMD) September 3, 2013
Four people out of about 200. RT @a_ryan88: @repjustinamash Have you talked to ANY constituent who supports going to war in Syria?
— Justin Amash (@repjustinamash) September 3, 2013
After stop 5 of 11, I’m not sure how any Member of Congress could support military action in #Syria. Never witnessed something so unpopular.
— Justin Amash (@repjustinamash) September 3, 2013
Rep. Tim Griffin of Arkansas said only 3 of 225 emails he has received from constituents supported strikes in Syria:
FYI: I received 225 emails via http://t.co/cNoLWx0a7v website over the weekend regarding Syria, and out of … http://t.co/DPqxBqxUrD
— Tim Griffin (@TimGriffinAR2) September 3, 2013
Over the Labor Day weekend, Obama called for American military action in Syria in response to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s apparent use of chemical weapons in the country’s civil war. Obama said he is seeking congressional approval of the military action, and both the House and Senate are expected to vote on it when the congress returns from its summer recess next week.
Despite these anecdotes from conservative lawmakers, both Speaker of the House John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor endorsed on Tuesday the request from President Obama to bomb the country.