PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Jack Reed said the U.S. should join with other nations before considering military action against the Syrian government.
Reed said that Britain and France have been "helpful" on dealing with the Syrian civil war. Neither said the U.S. should get involved in a ground war involving American soldiers. Both endorsed seeking a consensus with other nations before acting.
Whitehouse denounced Syrian President Bashar Assad as a tyrant who has murdered tens of thousands of his own citizens. Most recently the U.S. has accused Assad of using poison gas against those trying to overthrow him.
The senators spoke on Syria after a press conference at Rhode Island Housing Wednesday where they criticized what they said has been Republican refusal to compromise on a way to reduce the hardships that ordinary people have suffered from budget sequestration.