BATON ROUGE - The United States has attacked a Syrian air base with roughly 60 cruise missiles in response to a chemical weapons attack it blames on President Bashar Assad. Louisiana's congressional delegation issued the following statements on the missile strikes:

U.S. Senator John Kennedy:

“I commend President Trump for his swift action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.  Assad is a thug.  He cannot murder his own citizens and children without expecting consequences.  You cannot reason with someone like Assad- it’s like trying to hand feed a shark and expecting to get anything but bitten.  I hope that Assad gets the message that there's a new Sheriff in town and that the United States of America will assert its moral authority to do the right thing.”

U.S. Representative Garret Graves:

"While military action must be reserved for last resort and other extraordinary conditions, it is encouraging to finally see America's words, once again, mean something. To be taken seriously in the global community, we must enforce red lines. Our words must be followed with action. Years of empty threats and passive behavior have only emboldened the Assad regime, Russia and others to push boundaries and carry out senseless violence without penalty. The repeated atrocities of the Assad regime using supposedly-destroyed chemical weapons has resulted in tragic loss of life. The missile strikes in Syria have weakened Assad's capabilities and made it clear that there is a price to pay for poisoning innocent civilians. It also sends a clear signal to both our allies and rogue regimes that America is back."

U.S. House Majority Whip Steve Scalise:

"The United States sent a clear message that we will not tolerate the slaughter of innocent citizens by the Assad regime. I support President Trump for taking this strong and measured action."

U.S. Representative Clay Higgins: 

"We are horrified at the despicable acts committed by the Assad regime, and we are watching the U.S. military response very carefully. America must always use lethal military response as a last resort. I have faith that our Commander-in-Chief has received highly classified briefings and counsel from the top military and intelligence commanders, leading to this response. I am cautiously and prayerfully following these events as they unfold.”

U.S. Representative Mike Johnson:

“For too long these barbaric actions in Syria have gone unanswered. Our previous president refused to put forward a comprehensive strategy while tens of thousands continued to die at the hands of a brutal dictator and murderer. I fully support President Trump’s swift decision to retaliate against the latest horrible chemical attack in Syria and show that these actions will not be tolerated. It is well past time the international community step up to long held principles and not only condemn the atrocities being carried out by the Syrian government, but stand firmly behind proposals that will ultimately stop this bloodshed.”