WASHINGTON—Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) issued the following statement regarding President Obama’s remarks on Syria:

“The president has not convinced Americans that the Syrian civil war represents a vital national security threat to the United States.  Neither has he adequately explained how the U.S. would achieve the limited objectives his plan seeks to accomplish.  According to the administration, even after the limited military action, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would continue to have access to the chemical weapon stockpile and the ability to carry out further attacks.  My greatest concern remains the likelihood that the proposed strike would leave Assad in power with access to these weapons and lead our country further into war.  The better path for the president would be to continue to work with our allies to secure Syria’s chemical weapons and ensure they do not proliferate throughout the region.”