Just one Republican in group of US lawmakers with Pelosi on trip to Jordan for Syria talks
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
and other U.S. lawmakers announced late Saturday U.S. time that they
had arrived in Jordan for meetings with King Abdullah II and other
officials regarding the situation in Syria.
Although
touted as a "bipartisan" delegation, the group includes just one
Republican -- Rep. Mac Thornberry of Texas, ranking member of the House
Armed Services Commitee. Thornberry is among a group of Texas
Republicans who've announced they won't seek reelection in 2020. REP. PAUL GOSAR: TRUMP WAS RIGHT TO WITHDRAW TROOPS FROM SYRIA -- WE SHOULD PROTECT US BORDERS INSTEAD
“Our
bipartisan delegation is visiting Jordan at a critical time for the
security and stability of the region,” Pelosi said in a statement.
“With the deepening crisis in Syria after Turkey’s incursion, our
delegation has engaged in vital discussions about the impact to regional
stability, increased flow of refugees, and the dangerous opening that
has been provided to ISIS, Iran and Russia.”
Pelosi and other members of the U.S. delegation met
with Abdullah, who has been king of Jordan since 1999, as well as Crown
Prince Al Hussein bin Abdullah II, Prince Feisal bin Al Hussein, Foreign
Minister Ayman Safadi and other senior Jordanian officials, according to Reuters.
Jordan is located directly south of Syria. The two nations share a border that is about 233 miles long.
The
talks in Jordan come as both Turkey and the Kurdish-led Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) claim the other side is violating terms of a
120-hour cease-fire brokered by the U.S. and Turkey on Thursday.
Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., criticized the cease-fire deal as a "sham."
President
Trump has also taken criticism from some Republicans for his recent
decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria. Critics from both parties
contend that the move has left Syria's Kurds vulnerable to attacks by
Turkish forces and increased the likelihood of an ISIS resurgence in the
region.
But other lawmakers, such as Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., have defended the president's move.
In what was seen as a bid to temper some of the criticism, Trump earlier this month announced a pledge of $50 million in humanitarian aid to Syria.
Along
with Pelosi, the other Democrats in the delegation are Rep. Eliot
Engel, D-N.Y., chairman of the House Foreign Services Committee; Rep.
Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., chairman of the House Homeland Security
Committee; Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., chairman of the House
Intelligence Committee; Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., member of the House Ways
and Means Committee; Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., member of the House
Armed Services Committee; Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., chairman of the
House Oversight and Reform subcommittee on national security; and Rep.
Elaine Luria, D-Va., member of the House Armed Services Committee.
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