Ohio's junior senator, Rob Portman of Terrace Park, took to the floor of the U.S. Senate Tuesday morning to say he would not vote to authorize the Obama administration's proposed use of military force against Syria.
"I do not believe the administration's proposal of a military strike is the right answer,'' Portman said. "There is no guarantee that it will prevent Assad's use of chemical weapons. I don't believe it will end the senseless bloodshed in Syria; I don't believe it will bring stability to a region that is critical to our national security; and I don't believe, most fundamentally, that it is nested in a broader strategic plan for the region."
"Strike first, strategy later, is a recipe for disaster,'' Portman said.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, has postponed a planned test vote on the resolution to authorize military action against Syria, saying he wanted to see if international efforts to convince Syria to give up its chemical weapons make progress today.
You can listen to Portman's Senate floor speechhere.
