This morning on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” with Maria Bartiromo, Chairman Royce discussed U.S. efforts to deter Assad from using chemical weapons, and the need for a Syria strategy that leverages strong diplomacy and serious financial pressure. Video and key excerpts are below.

The U.S. and allied strikes were justified to deter the use of chemical weapons:

“Well it certainly was the right move…. [and] the inclusion of Britain and France in the operation, as well as the support that Turkey gave us, perhaps gives us a way forward… If we can have a strong diplomatic effort now, backed up with serious financial pressure against those who are transferring these arms so that Assad can continue this bloody conflict, we may have a way… for a political solution.”

The U.S. cannot ignore other vital national security interests at risk in this conflict:

“Iran… wants… a land bridge to bring weapons and fighters up to the boarder of Israel. They need anarchy in Syria for that purpose. It is actually more beneficial for the rest of the globe to work together right now to get a political settlement.”

The administration needs to present a strategy for the way forward:

“We don’t need tens of thousands of troops on the ground right now… [W]e need, as I said… a diplomatic political solution…. And this week when we go into session I’m asking the administration to come up and to testify… on a strategy…”

NOTE: Last year, the House unanimously passed the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act, H.R. 1677, to impose tough new sanctions on Assad’s Russian and Iranian enablers, and crack down on the transfer of weapons and other resources that have contributed to the deaths of 500,000 civilians, and the displacement of at least 12 million Syrians. The Senate has yet to act on this bill.

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