Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez don't often find themselves in harmony, but both are singing the same tune on one issue: Syria.
In a rare moment of political alignment among high-profile Washington players, Paul and Ocasio-Cortez – along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers – have sent a letter to President Donald Trump agreeing with his decision to pull back forces in Syria and urging him to see the withdrawal through.
“We write in support of your announcement to the start of a ‘deliberate withdrawal’ of U.S. military forces in Syria, and we welcome the completion of this process within the next six months,” the lawmakers wrote.
Paul reportedly said Trump reaffirmed his commitment to the withdrawal at a lunch meeting last week, saying, “Whether you like it or not, I promised people not to leave troops in the Middle East forever.”
Meanwhile, another Kentucky lawmaker, Republican Representative Hal Rogers, is worrying aloud about Trump’s attempt to block aid to Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The ranking member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations said he agrees US policy should have as a goal curtailing illegal immigration, but he said he’s “concerned that indiscriminately blocking all foreign aid may exacerbate the problem.”
