Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger criticized Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz’s vocal opposition to Syrian intervention on Wednesday, saying a recent remark Cruz made against intervention in Syria was a “cheap line” meant only to get attention.
During an appearance on Glenn Beck’s radio program on Tuesday, Cruz said that if President Barack Obama launched a strike against Syria, he would essentially use the U.S. military as “Al Qaeda’s airforce.”
“We should be focused on defending the United States of America,” Cruz told guest host Joe Pags. “That’s why young men and women sign up to join the military, not to, as you know, serve as Al Qaeda’s air force.”
Former Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich made the same remark about the proposed Syria strike last week,* telling The Hill, “So what, we’re about to become Al Qaeda’s air force now?”
Kinzinger attacked those remarks at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs committee Wednesday, saying it “has really bothered me.”
“I believe that is a cheap line by some people to garner headlines, and not a serious discussion about what is going on,” he said, without mentioning either Cruz or Kucinich by name.
Kinzinger, a Republican congressman from Illinois, has said he will vote in favor of the resolution to authorize a strike on Syria.
*This post has been updated to note that Kucinich also made the remark.
