The Progressive Change Campaign Committee is coming out against military action in Syria, and it plans to pressure on-the-fence Democrats in Congress to oppose it, as well.
The PCCC, which has a membership of nearly 1 million people, is sending a memo to Democratic representatives and senators with the results of a survey that shows its members overwhelmingly oppose intervening in Syria. The poll also shows that its members aren't buying President Barack Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry's justifications for intervening.
Here are some of the findings highlighted in the memo, for which the PCCC received more than 57,000 responses:
- 52% say they don't believe Obama and Kerry when they say certain things are true in Syria as justification for military action. Only 48% agree with them.
By 73% to 18%, respondents oppose U.S. military action in Syria.
Only 14% favor unilateral U.S. military action. Among those open to a coalition effort, 55% say the United Nations “must” approve the action to go forward.
81% believe that an initially-limited bombing campaign would lead to deeper involvement.
80% say, regardless of the U.S.'s goal, narrow bombings will not achieve it.
Most respondents believe something should be done about Syria — only 11% say to do nothing. 38% say we need a diplomatic strategy involving the UN and other nations. 19% say pursue war crime charges in The Hague. 19% favor humanitarian aid. Only 11% prefer air attacks as the solution.
The survey and pressure come as Congress is in the midst of debating a resolution that would authorize limited U.S. military force in response to alleged chemical weapons attacks by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on his own people on Aug. 21.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee will begin markup and debate Wednesday on a compromise resolution that authorizes military action for a 60-day period, while specifically barring any ground troops from being deployed in Syria.
The PCCC said its members would make "thousands" of calls to members of Congress in the coming days, as well as participate in local events.
"You now face a decision that involves life and death," Adam Green and Stephanie Taylor, Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-founders, said in a statement.
"This decision also involves billions of dollars. And it will send a signal to your constituents and the world about our nation’s morals and our ability to make strategic, goal-oriented decisions. ... Your progressive base stands firmly against military action in Syria."
Green and the PCCC had come out in support of Obama's decision to seek Congressional authorization on Saturday, calling it an "important precedent for all future presidents."
The full PCCC memo and survey results, with charts, are embedded below: