Kinzinger: Vote To Assist Syrian Rebels ‘First Step’ In ISIS Fight [AUDIO]

Congressman Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) joined the show this morning to talk about yesterday's vote in the House to grant President Obama authority to provide certain weapons and training to the Free Syrian Army, who are described as moderate Syrian rebels who have recently been battling ISIS.

Kinzinger is a U.S. Air Force Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and currently serves as a major in the Air National Guard. He has been calling for air support in Iraq since January, and last year he criticized President Obama’s inaction in Syria against the Assad regime. Kinzinger told us this action is just a start:

This is not a strategy, this is not a plan to crush ISIS. This is the very beginning of many, many things that need to be done in order to destroy this cancer that is growing...[the President] needs a robust air campaign in Syria. He needs to begin to have a moderate fighting opposition. And I don't think he should be taking 'troops on the ground' off the table. I don't think he needs them yet, but he shouldn't be taking them off the table. This is a first step.

In addition to training and equipping elements of the Syrian opposition to fight ISIS, the legislation funds the federal government at current levels through Dec. 11th, 2014, avoiding the possibility of a government shutdown.

Here's our full conversation with Rep. Kinzinger: