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13 NewsNow: Congressman Scott discusses Syria

September 23, 2014

HAMPTON - Congressman Bobby Scott said if the United States wants to be successful fighting ISIS in the Middle East, Congress needs to be on board with the effort.

Congressman Scott also said that for too long congress has ignored the constitutional mandate to declare war when war needs to be declared. Dating back to the Vietnam War, "Congress wants to have it both ways, you want to be able to complain when things don't go right and you don't want to take responsibility up front, and we've been able to get away with that for 50-years and there's a lot of support for keeping it the way it is," Scott said. 13News Now interviewed Scott at a military veterans town hall meeting. Scott held the meeting to discuss the challenges veterans face with the Hampton V.A. Medical Center.

U.S. Senator Tim Kaine shared the same sentiment with Scott about congressional support for our country's latest efforts in the Middle East, "If we're going to engage this mission we have to do it right or not do it. If we don't get congress on board with it we're not doing it right " Senator Kaine said.

As far the President's vow of not putting boots on the ground, Congressman Scott said, "Well I think it's well known there will have to be combat boots on the ground, hopefully it will be somebody else's boots and any American troops in the area will not be combat troops but advisers," Scott added.