paul menendez, mitchell, walker, theresa. thank you for showing me the meaning of being an aging of change through the work that you do through the work that you do and how you serve the community. i would like to thank my parents for sacrificing what they never had. to my daughter, our future leaders, thank you for being my daughters, my reason for living. i love you. thank you. [ cheers and applause ] >> as we move to the next phase, i would love to give another round of applause to all of our awardees. i would like to lay down a challenge because i think of the work of tucker and i would love to see how we partner the next generation with the legacy and the work of the people like george davis and spinola jackson. that we don't leave it in this room tonight but as we leave here, we share those strategies and best practices and the struggles and use that information to empower the next generation. this is not just the cake, it is the icing on the cake. as we get ready to split that cake up and enjoy the celebration, we need

here on "the crossfire" two members the chairman robert menendez supports a strike. and senator rand paul opposes a military strike. senator paul, the first question to you. why do you think the russians came forward today, after being so obstructive for so long? >> i think anytime diplomacy is possible, it's preferable. i think it's a great development. there have been discussions with the russians for months, really i they on to a year now, there have been discussions -- >> with no movements. >> by apparently they've been in fair of some negotiated settlement. how did they get there, is the threat of force bringing them there, i think is unknown. the president needs to take credit to move forward and avoid an all-out war, i say the more the better. i think war or bombing assad will lead to more instability and more likely kem dale weapons in the hands of terrorists if we destabilize assad. >> i have to say that i'm cautiously looking at what the russians are suggesting. we'll see. you know, after two years in which the russians have vetoed every effort at the united nations, including s

when we come back we'll speak with one of the harshest credit ticks on syria, ran paul but right now i'll bring in menendez who says bashar al-assad is a liar. what is your reaction to the president's speech tonight? >> well, i think the president went step by step in directly responding to the concerns of the american people, and i think effectively made the case as to why those concerns are either unfounded to some degree in some cases, can be met in other cases, and the reason why it is important to be able to respond to the use of assad's use of chemical weapons against innocent civilians beyond syria and in context of other people in the world who may have access, as well. >> if the president feels strongly about these atrocities like what happened to the nazis in the second world war, it prompts the question why has he not taken action so far? he has the power to do so. >> yes, i personally believe under the war powers act he could have action that wouldn't extend beyond 60 days and would have to come to the congress after that. i think he's made the case that we are stronger as a nation in our resol

senator menendez and senator corker showed support for the president's plan. you really only have senator rand paul and joe manchin showing concerns about military intervention. senator corker said, why serious? what is it about syria that if we don't attack them over using chemical weapons, how does that harm our national interests? john kerry said this in response. >> we know bashar al-assad would read hours ebbing away or our silence as an invitation to use those -- our stepping away or our silence as an invitation to use those weapons with impunity. and in creating impunity, we would be creating opportunity for other terrorist to create their own weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons. >> in other words, if we don't strike, it might embolden future date haters or ayatollahs. -- future dictators or ayatollahs. there was no specific mention to limiting boots on the ground, u.s. boots on the ground. he pressed senator kerry and kerry finally said, look, we are not going to do boots on the ground. >> sam, what is the schedule over the next week or two coup, and what is the timeframe

senate foreign relations committee senator menendez and senator corker show support for the president's plan really on the committee you only have senator rand paul and senator joe manchin who showed some concerns about military intervention there but despite the support you know there are concerns that want to be raised to senator corker said why syria what is it about syria that if we don't. attack syria over using chemical weapons how does that harm our national security interests and secretary of state john kerry said this in his opening statement kind of in response to that. we know that assad would read our stepping away or our silence as an invitation to use those weapons with the beauty. and in creating impunity we will be creating opportunity the opportunity for other dictators and or terrorists to pursue their own weapons of mass destruction including nuclear weapons so other words if we don't strike off this chemical weapons in my embolden future dictators or the word ayatollah was used to use similar weaponry now senator menendez on the on the committee was concerned about the scope of the authorization there was no specific mention t

relations committee senator bob menendez chairman of the committee explained off camera to secretary of state why he would vote in favor of intervention in syria while senator rand paul question why the u.s. is yet again trying to get involved in a war in the middle east. this weekend i was at a soccer tournament and i had a group of moms come up to me and say senator we we saw those pictures they're horrific can't imagine. the devastation those parents must feel about their children but why us why us and so i ask you would you tell them that we would be more secure or less secure. by the actions that are being considered i haven't had one person come up to me and say they're for this war not one person we get calls by the thousands nobody's calling in favor of this war i did me while i was home all month i went to forty cities and have one person come up and say do they all agree it's a horrendous thing yes we all agree that chemical attacks aren't as they but people are not excited about getting involved they also don't think it's going to work and there's skip meanwhile in an exclusive interview with french newspaper le figaro syrian president bashar al assad chal

paul we knew that tom you uudoll how could you process it. >> this was the easiest vote senate relations committee between menendez and corker you had bipartisan effort president's resolution. you touched on tellerrier. the first and most important thing for the president to do is to convince the president and american people that there is a strategic american interest in taking action against saddam hussein. not simply a humanitarian or an international component but there is a strategic u.s. interest. and, you are right. the outcome in syria is either assad wins in which case hezbollah and iran and russia win or assad loses in which case iran, hezbollah, and russialess. if assad, iran, hezbollah, and russia win, then that changes the balance of power in the middle east against us. and if they lose, it advances it in our direction. >> bill: the argument for people and as you know you see the polls. many republicans and conservatives say okay, well, al qaeda operatives will take over the government. look what happened in egypt. worse people than assad. i don't think it could be worse than assad but they do will take over. so, even if we do dow

in the crossfire, senator rand paul, who opposes a military strike on syria, and senate foreign relations chairman robert menendezited strike. can the president convince congress to attack syria? tonight on "crossfire." >>> welcome to "crossfire." i'm stephanie cutter on the left. >> i'm newt gingrich on the right. astonishingly, today the russians off to help round up and secure syria's chemical weapons. the syrians said yes. here's what the president told wolf blitzer. >> it is a potentially positive development. i have to say it's unlikely we would have arrived at that point where there were even public statements like that without a credible military threat to deal with the chemical weapons use inside of syria. >> the president told abc news that strikes would be, quote, absolutely, end quote, on pause if assad gives up the chemical weapons. i've heard of leading from behind, but did you ever think you would see putin bailing out president obama? >> newt, i don't know where you've been over the past two years, but we couldn't even get putin to acknowledge syria was a risk. he vetoed three u.n. resolutions. sy

menendez there. chair of the committee that offers up the use of military force, really giving the white house credit to bring russia and syria to this point. >> paulsince russia has made this proposal, most of the congress and senator would just as soon vote on this at all? >> as you know, senator reid saad no vote before thursday. and president obama says he doesn't expect anything to happen this week, so this may be the escape valve that everybody was looking for. >> and that's what they are talk about tonight in the halls of congress, correct? >> correct. that's expectly right. >> yes, give me an idea what would happen, how long we would have to wait. >> i think with senator reid saying no vote before thursday, again, it's going to depend on the back and forth to russia. the international body that would oversee the gathering and destruction of this process. and this gives everybody a chance to catch their breath. and senator reid originally promising a final vote on the measure before the end of the week. >> all right. paul thank you very much. joining us now is john garamendy, sorry for me mispronunciation. >> not a problem. >> give me a sens

. >> senator kerry there giving rand paul a hard time suggesting perhaps he ego do a bit more homework. senator menendezuestion for you. we seem to be in a position where we may launch strikes because the risk of not acting is greater than acting. in your conversations with the white house, how much have you heard about what happens after the strikes in the days and weeks after the strikes what is the u.s. doing to prepare for any possible contingency in terms of retaliation or oh more chemical attacks? >> we envisioned that by the resolution in which we give the president authorization for the first 60 days which he has under the war powers act anyway. we felt limiting him wasn't right. and then 30 days if he sees it necessary to do so. we call for a broader serious strategy in the resolution which the president must admit to congress 30 dais after the resolution is passed. that has all the different elements oh of political military, humanitarian and otherwise. i think the administration and members asked questions in both public and briefings about the follow-on. i think there's been a significant am

bob menendez, chairman of the foreign relations committee and republican committee member senator rand paulrryweek" with secretary and james cartwright. valley noster, dean of the john hopkins school of advanced international studies. democratic senator jack reed of rhode island, and congressman peter king. followste of the union" . an appearance with secretary , scottnd eliot angle murphy, members of the senate foreign relations committee. at 4:00 p.m., "face the nation" -- saxby chambliss. on sunday network tv shows c-span radio are brought to you as a public service by the networks and c-span. noonadcasts begin at eastern with an bc's "meet the press." fox news sunday, and "facethe union," the nation" on cbs. xmten across the country on satellite radio channel 119. download our free app for your smart phone or listen online at www.c-span.org. >> we picture june cleaver with a vacuum cleaner or in the kitchen, frying bacon for breakfast. that image does obscure one of the most important trends in the 1950's, which was american women's labor force participation increased. american women wo

menendez out of new jersey. on the no side, democrat tom udall and christopher murphy, the rest were republicans including marco rubio and rand pauld a moment ago, a staunch critic of military intervention in syria. martha: so one democrat not voting either way. ed markey voted present. not clear whether he's actually opposed to the plan. he has taken some heat for voting present. one local paper calling it, quote, a profile in courage while his republican rival called it simply embarrassing. bill: what is next? what happens when this vote hits the senate floor, to say nothing of what may happen on the house. bret baier here on the fox news channel, good morning to you. i guess we'll take it one step at a time because the senate will have a voice on this, the house will, and then you have to see what the president does after that. in its current form in the senate, would this pass? >> everything we're hearing on capitol hill says no, in its current form. but there's some technical logistics that have to be set up first. just to go a little bit deeper than mike emanuel just said there, tomorrow senator reid will call the senate bac