Rep. Randy Fine stated Monday that U.S. airstrikes in Syria were necessary after American forces were attacked and two U.S. soldiers were killed, giving a clear warning to terrorist groups including ISIS.
“These Muslim terrorists attacked our forces and killed a couple of our soldiers a few days ago,” the Florida Republican said. “So responding was the right thing to do.”
Fine praised President Donald Trump for “sending the message that we’re not going to put up with this in this part of the world or any part of the world.” He described Syria’s president as a “former, if you can ever be,” terrorist and emphasized the U.S. must not tolerate threats against religious minorities or American interests.
“While we’ve sort of said that they’re the president, and we’re going to try to work with them, we need them to understand that people who threaten Druze and Christians and Americans and Israelis, we’re not just going to put up with it,” Fine added. He noted the U.S. message applies equally to former al-Qaida terrorists in Syria.
On domestic issues, Fine supported a GOP healthcare bill passing the House that he called “not the final answer” but a step toward lowering costs. He criticized Democrats for resisting incremental changes and expressed pessimism about its Senate progress following remarks from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Fine also announced plans to expel Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., after she vowed to seek his expulsion in a fundraising email, calling it “a fraud.” He stated he would pursue the effort directly without using fundraising channels.
Addressing immigration, Fine condemned “fake Somali refugees” who, according to him, “add no value, suck our resources, defraud our government,” and claimed Rep. Omar should not serve in Congress or even be American. He identified antisemitism as a key divide within the conservative movement, stating some public figures “aren’t” genuine conservatives despite their appearances.
