The opposition claims that costs will rise. The proposition cites updated packaging as routine business costs. Money seems to be at the heart of Washington State Initiative 522, a measure that would require food labels to specify whether or not foods are genetically engineered.
Opponents of the “Washington-only” measure claim that this is a simple case of bureaucracy. I522 would create unnecessary governmental regulation that exists nowhere else in the nation. What the opposition fails to mention is special interest groups and corporations spent millions of dollars, in recent years, to defeat similar measures in other states, such as prop 37 in California. Furthermore, similar regulations are in place in several countries outside of the United States.
Proponents of I522 purport that the costs are minimal, and that regulation would not be more bureaucratic as similar regulations are already in place to determine fresh caught or farm raised salmon, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, etc.
Let’s look at the facts.
Genetically engineered foods are those created or altered in a laboratory to achieve desired qualities. Their genetic makeup is not seen in their naturally occurring, and healthier, counterparts. According to studies from the United Farm Workers, genetically modified plants are more vulnerable to weather and pests, leading to greater use of fertilizer and pesticides. It is then important to know that many companies that oppose the measure are chemical companies that manufacture these products.
Both sides agree that studies show there are no immediate health concerns caused by GE (genetically engineered) foods, and that in fact these foods do allow growers and consumers to maximize quantity, meaning it is cheaper because it is easier to grow and harvest.
Why is this important to Pacific Northwest Tribes?
In recent years, genetically engineered salmon have been successfully made in labs and farm raised. These fish mature at twice the rate of wild salmon. The FDA has not yet decided if this product will be available to consumers, though if it passes, it would be the first engineered meat to be sold in stores. Currently, only GE crops are on the market. Fishing continues to be a crucial industry for northwest tribes, and the new GE fish stand to threaten the market. Without a market, the native fishing industry would se a drastic decline.
I522 does not stop any of this from happening, it only requires labeling. The “Yes on 522” campaign says repeatedly that this shouldn’t be a hindrance to business as usual. The largest appeal to the public is consumers have the right to make informed decisions about their food choices, and I522 is all about information. It does not prevent future operations, nor does it stop current ones.
Washington State Initiative 522 will be on the November ballot.
Major agribusiness companies and grocery chains appear set on a “Shock and Awe” approach to defeating Initiative 522 on Washington’s November ballot, and have poured nearly $9 million into the cause over the last two days.
The latest big bucks include $3.2 million from Dupont, on top of $171,281 previously given; a $562,000 pledge from Dow Agrisciences and a $500,000 pledge from BASF Plant Science. Montsanto made the biggest investment earlier in the week with a $4.5 million contribution to the No-on-522 campaign.
I-522 would put labeling requirements on genetically manufactured foods and seeds offered for sale in Washington State. A similar ballot measure in California set off a massive advertising blitz: Major grocery chains and agribusiness interests spent $46 million and narrowly defeated it.
Supporters of the initiative have put together a $3.5 million war chest. About $19 million was spent on behalf of the California measure.
Shelby Scates: A memorable election night argument.
The No-on-522 campaign has retained services of Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Winner & Mandabach, the nation’s most experienced consulting firm at promoting and fighting initiatives. Winner & Mandabach worked in 2012 for opponents of the California labeling measure.
Winner & Mandabach was formerly Winner Wagner & Mandabach, and gained initial fame (or infamy if you were on the opposite side) in the 1980′s for successful strategies that defeated anti-nuclear power initiatives in Western states.
Its first setback came in Washington with the so-called “WPPSS initiative.” I-394, put on the ballot in 1981, was aimed at curbing soaring costs of the Washington Public Power Supply System’s nuclear program, which eventually left four abandoned, partially built reactors and caused the biggest municipal bond default in American history.
I-394 required utilities to get voter approval before issuing new bonds to pay for WPPSS’ nuclear plants, whose total costs had reached $23.9 billion.
Major brokerage firms and nuclear contractors spent $1.2 million to beat it, compared to just $200,000 for supporters. But backers aired radio ads produced by famous New York adman Tony Schwartz, creator of the famous “Daisy” ad that implied that Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater might set off a nuclear war.
I-394 rolled up 58 percent of the vote, although courts later threw it out. Election night featured a memorable, not-entirely-friendly encounter at “No” headquarters between firm principal Chuck Winner and Seattle Post-Intelligencer columnist Shelby Scates.
The cost to corporations of ballot campaigns has since gone up. The American Beverage Assn., in 2010, spent $16.9 million to persuade Washington voters to roll back a modest soda pop tax, enacted by the Legislature to fund education. Costco topped that with its successful campaign to end the state’s monopoly on retail liquor sales.
With its latest influx of cash — and nearly two months until election day — the No-on-522 campaign may challenge previous spending records.
U.S. House members across the aisles are reacting harshly to a plan by the Obama administration to cut contract support cost (CSC) reimbursements to tribes in the federal budget’s continuing resolution currently being considered by Congress.
“If the administration has its way, tribes would lose their ability to obtain the legitimate contract support cost funds that Indian Health Service has failed to pay,” Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Indian Affairs, told Indian Country Today Media Network in reaction to a White House budget proposal shared with some Congress members late this summer that would allow the Indian Health Service (IHS) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to limit how much each tribe would be paid for CSC.
Tribes would be left to pay for any CSC funding not appropriated by Congress. President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget request falls copy40 million short of what is required to honor all tribal contracts with the IHS, and copy2 million short of what is required to honor all BIA contracts, according to testimony provided to Congress in April.
“I’m extremely disappointed in the administration for even suggesting this,” Young said. “Fully funding contract support costs is the right thing to do. Providing healthcare services is a critical component of the federal government’s trust responsibility to tribes, and imposing a ‘hard cap’ that limits tribes’ compensation for healthcare services that they provided on behalf of the government would undermine our sacred trust obligation.”
Young promised “to fight to make sure the administration’s proposed continuing resolution language, which would harm healthcare delivery throughout Indian country, is not included in the House version.”
Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), a Chickasaw Nation citizen who sits on the House Appropriations and Budget Committees, told ICTMN that the administration’s plan is “outrageous.”
“The record from this administration on Indian affairs has been pretty good, but this as an area it has not been,” Cole said.
Cole added that as of early September 10 he had not seen the final text of the House’s continuing resolution bill, so he did not know if the Republican leadership had included the administration’s proposal.
“I hope and I expect – but I don’t want to tell you I got it for sure – that this is going to be fixed, that we will be offering a continuing resolution that does not cap these payments,” Cole said. “I know the Appropriations Committee has forwarded this matter to leadership. I’m assuming word got through to the guys who put together the final draft of the whole thing.”
Democratic tribal allies in the House also say they are concerned by the administration’s proposal, and they do not want to see the Republican House leadership include it in its continuing resolution.
“We have yet to see the text of the continuing resolution from the Republican leadership in the House, however, any proposal of this nature would be concerning, and the impact on tribal communities would need to be closely reviewed,” Rep. Ben Luján (D-N.M.) told ICTMN.
“The United States has a trust responsibility that must be upheld, and it is critical that tribal leaders and members of Congress work together to ensure we are meeting the funding needs of Indian country,” Luján said. “A key component is undoing the failed experiment of sequestration that I have opposed every step of the way, in part because of the negative effect it is having on Native American communities.”
Late September 10, the House-proposed continuing resolution was filed. It did not include any CSC caps, though it left funding at the 2013 sequestered level.
In the Senate, Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has vowed to do whatever she can to quash consideration of the proposal, but Democrats control that chamber, so it remains to be seen if Democratic Senate leaders are willing to counter the Democratic administration’s plan. From the House, Young said he would “continue to work with the Alaska delegation to prevent the harmful language from being included on the Senate side.”
Lloyd Miller, an Indian affairs lawyer with Sonosky Chambers involved in several tribal contract support disputes with the federal government, suggested that tribal officials reach out to Sen. Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), chairman of the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, who will have input on this funding proposal in the Senate.
“Sen. Reed will be very important as this plays out in short order,” Miller said, noting that he would like to see the senator to attend a meeting of the National Conference of the American Indians in Washington on September 11.
Congress is scheduled to be in session for only nine days in September. It must pass a continuing resolution by October 1 to avoid a partial government shutdown. If the administration’s language is included in the continuing resolution, tribes would likely lose out on millions of dollars.
The administration’s request comes after a June 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that said the federal government must pay for the full CSC incurred by tribes while providing healthcare and other governmental services for their tribal citizens through Indian Self-Determination Act contract agreements. It was a rare tribal victory at the Supreme Court, which is one reason why the current White House position has alarmed tribal leaders.
Forty-five tribes and tribal organizations shared a letter with Reed and his subcommittee September 3, expressing their outrage at the administration’s proposal.
Cole predicted legal consequences if the administration’s plan were to pass Congress. “Do you really think this won’t be challenged in court?” he asked. “I suspect it will.”
The Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota has banished a non-Indian man for a domestic violence incident. Steven Nichols was convicted in federal court in June 2011 for assaulting his girlfriend, who is a tribal member. The tribe’s court issued a banishment order and the tribal council voted to exclude him that same month but he was just arrested last week for coming back to the reservation. This is the fourth time he’s been arrested for violating the banishment order. In March, Nichols pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of criminal trespass, the U.S. Attorney for South Dakota said in a press release. Nichols, who lives in Illinois, was sentenced to 30 days and one year of probation and was again ordered not to re-enter the reservation.
Roseanne Supernault is an award-winning Metis Cree actress whose recent work includes the acclaimed series Blackstone — and with Rhymes for Young Girls, she’s again featured in a gritty drama set on a First Nations reserve. Yet Rhymes for Young Ghouls, a revenge-fantasy story that tackles the legacy of residential schools and takes place on the fictional Red Crow Mi’kmaq Reserve in 1976, is quite different. On the website of the Toronto International Film Festival, where Rhymes for Young Ghouls had its premiere on September 9, the film is described as “an S.E. Hinton novel … re-imagined as a righteously furious, surreal thriller.” Supernault shared her thoughts on the film with ICTMN.
Can you describe your character in Rhymes for Young Ghouls?
I play Anna in the film — the mother of the main character Aila. I’m an artist, I am very in love with Aila’s father Joseph, and I am very sad at the state of our life on the rez. Through most the film I am present in a haunting capacity.
Did you grow up knowing anyone like Anna growing up?
I was inspired by many women, but specifically my sister, who raised me for most my life. She’s one of the strongest women I know. Anna has rules for Aila, on surviving the rez, and I’m pretty sure my sister could write that very same book.
What elements of this film will resonate with a Native audience?
The climax of this film is quite extraordinary. After reading the script I was reminded of a quote by actress Melanie Laurent about Inglourious Basterds. She said how important it was for her as a Jewish woman to be a part of that movie for the sake of her family, because of the fantastical revenge that the main characters get. Relatives of mine whom I love very much went to residential school and I can’t help but feel a sense of redemption and empowerment by being a part of this story. I imagine it will resonate with most Native people who watch it. They’re also going to see more humorous characters and a very powerful heroine, Aila, played by Kawennahere Devery Jacobs, who is a remarkable up-and-coming actress.
Do you think it will appeal to the larger filmgoing public?
[Filmmaker] Jeff Barnaby’s story and vision will appeal to a mainstream audience as well, simply for the fact that it’s just good film. If you take away the contextualization of reservation life, Jeff has really done a terrific job of basing this story on universal elements that you can relate to as a human being. It’s raw, it’s gritty, and it’s beautiful.
There are certain common elements between Rhymes for Young Ghouls and the TV series Blackstone. Both deal with a dark side of rez life; with corruption and crime. How deep do the similarities run, and where do they end?
They’re both strong stories set on a reservation and have elements of corruption, but otherwise, the similarities end there. Jeff looks at reserve life with a different set of eyes. When have we ever really seen what it was like to have Indian Agents breathing down our necks — day in and day out — on the rez? And especially to execute it with this unique ghoulish motif! Every once in a while when reading the script, I would think: “Did he just say that?! Did he just do that?! This is amazing! I have to be a part of this.” And I’m so glad I am! I think the world’s about to find out that Natives are some of the most powerful storytellers on earth. It’s in our blood.
How do you respond to criticism that entertainment like Blackstone and Rhymes for Young Ghouls can be bad for the image of Natives?
What’s important here is that we be patient with our storytellers. Contrasting and challenging Hollywood’s hundred-year depiction of Natives is going to take some time. I carry the same message straight across for all audiences: we can’t base the perceived vision of Native People on ONE Film or TV show about Native People, and then make judgements. Please be patient with us. I’ve never met such a hard-working generation of people! We’re really on our way.
Director Jeff Barnaby is one of the most interesting young filmmakers (Native or otherwise) in Canada today. Were you previously familiar with his work?
He’s definitely going to be doing big things and I would love nothing more than to work with him again. I watched “File Under Miscellaneous” before meeting him, and was instantly a fan. He also showed Devery and me “The Colony” during pre-production. I think we both knew then that we were in safe hands.
What it was like working with him on Rhymes for Young Girls?
Jeff is a visionary. And what’s great is that his Nativeness is still very much intact. He doesn’t have that phoney telephone voice many of us have adapted as a sort of as a survival mechanism. He’s Native through and through. He’s real, he’s talented, and he’s got a crazy awesome sense of humor!
For students wanting to show some Native pride in school, here is a list of 10 pretty cool items to show some Native flavor.
A Beaded Pen
If you want to look slick taking your next test, jotting down notes or while biting the end and looking thoughtfully into space, you definitely want to get a beaded pen. Looking around online there are a few places, like Sun Country Traders, selling these modern marvels, as for me—I got mine at a powwow.
A pow wow is a great place to pick up Native goodies. (Vincent Schilling)
A Backpack
Imagine reaching for your books in class and bringing your Native-style backpack up on to your desk with a nice loud thunk. What better way to say, “yep, I’m Native and proud.”
There are some gorgeous—but sold out for the moment—back packs designed by Kevin Dakota Duncan at Painted Warrior Designs.
Painted Warrior Designs is an accessory and clothing company with designs by Kevin Dakota Duncan. (Painted Warrior Designs)
Some Awesome Native Earrings
Any Google search can turn up a 10-mile long result page on Native American earrings, but the folks at Tlicho and the Beyond Buckskin Boutique have some earlobe-adorning winners made by Native artisans in a range of prices. So poke another hole in those ears and get to class Native style!
These “Firework” earrings are blue dyed and natural porcupine quill. The online store is owned by the Tlicho Government for the Tlicho people. (Tlicho Online Store)
A Native T-shirt
What better way to “teach” the masses about history and its alignment to your Native views than with a confrontational T-shirt? Just check out these designs from Noble Savage and their “Original Landlords” design and the OXDX folks and their “Don’t Trend On Me” and “Native Americans Discovered Columbus” designs.
OXDX is a Native-owned clothing line based in Chandler, Arizona. (OXDX)
Baseball Cap or Beanie
Native Threads have it on point with their selection of Native baseball caps and beanies. In all seriousness, I want one of each. These things are all that and a bag of chips out of the school vending machine—and you just happened to have exactly 65 cents.
The baseball caps and beanies sold by Native Threads, a Native-owned and operated clothing company, are the result of a grassroots entrepreneurial effort. (Native Threads)
Next Stop—Hoodie Time!
Having to choose between Beyond Buckskin’s Red Sea Hoodie designed by Tahltan artist Alano Edzerza and the black zip-up hoodie on the Native Threads website, I just might have to break down and get both before autumn starts working its way into the weather forecasts. No matter what, you are sure to look like a hip Native student.
This Red Sea Hoodie was designed by Tahltan artist Alano Edzerza for the Beyond Buckskin Boutique, a place for American Indian designers to showcase their work. (Beyond Buckskin Boutique)
Mineral-Based Cosmetics
Those students wishing to accent their looks can venture over to Kamamak, an aboriginal-owned cosmetics company. According to the site, these cosmetics are infused with the Native culture of North America, and are a modern, fun, sophisticated take on cosmetic art.
Kamamak Cosmetics is an aboriginal-owned cosmetics line. Their products are mineral-based and paraben-free. (Kamamak Cosmetics)
A Good Book
Some teachers may not have extensive knowledge of Native American culture and history, with a good book on hand, you can teach the teacher if you do a report on a good Native book. Two good places to find great Native titles are Birchbark Books and Native Voices Books. Of course the library is always free for older titles.
These titles are all published by Native Voices Books to preserve the history, culture and stories of Native people. (Native Voices Books)
A Craft Project
As an artist raised by grandparents in the Nooksack tribal community in a shack with no running water, Louie Gong, (Nooksack, Squamish, Chinese, French and Scottish) has overcome considerable odds to become one of the nation’s most successful shoe artists. He’s created what he calls the “mock-up,” a cool shoe-mold craft project for budding artists.
So if you want to try your hand at crafting a Native style, you should get yourself a mock-up to stand out from the crowd with your next craft assignment. Mock-ups are a do-it-yourself toy and are made of vinyl. According to Gong, “The advantage to the vinyl surface of mockups is that you can apply almost any medium to it—pencil, colored pencil, crayons, spray paint or you can add sculpting material. They are very versatile. You can erase just about anything too.”
So go get crafty!
These mock-ups were designed by Louie Gong, who created the shoe/craft project. (GetMockups.com)
Barrettes and Bolo Ties
Etsy website Native bead crafter DeanCouchie has a vast selection of bolo ties and NorthwestBeadwork has an impressive collection of customized coin purses, arm cuffs and even a Batman beaded barrette, there is no excuse to go to school sans beaded-something.
This Batman barrette was beaded by Stephanie Pinkham, Nez Perce, who runs an Etsy shop called NorthwestBeadwork. (NorthwestBeadwork)
See you in the halls decked out in beaded gear and Native style accouterment.
Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett speaks to Tulalip Court leaders about the implementation of VAWA 2013 in Indian country. September 5, 2013. (by Charlie Galbraith, Associate Director of Intergovernmental Affairs)
[The morning of September 5], we made our way north from Seattle, past gorgeous waterways, and lush greenery to visit with the Tulalip tribes of western Washington, where we were greeted by Tribal Chairman Mel Sheldon, Vice Chairwoman Deb Parker, and Chief Judge Theresa Pouley. We saw first-hand, a tribal court system which serves to both honor the traditions of its people and to foster a renewed era of tribal self-determination.
The Tulalip Tribes of Washington, like many American Indian tribes, have built a tribal court system that serves the civil needs of their community, holds criminals accountable, and protects the rights of victims and the accused in criminal cases. By engaging the entire spectrum of stakeholders, including judges, the police, public defenders, tribal attorneys, as well as tribal elders, and even offenders in many cases – the system they have put in place is producing impressive results with a unique focus on innovative, restorative, and communal solutions.
Because of the successful 2013 Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, which President Obama signed into law on March 7, 2013, tribal courts and law enforcement will soon be able to exercise the sovereign power to investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence those who commit acts of domestic violence or dating violence or violate certain protection orders in Indian country, regardless of the defendant’s Indian or non-Indian status. The tribal provisions of this landmark legislation were originally proposed by the Department of Justice in 2011 to address alarming rates of violence against Native women. We believe today, as we did then, that this is not only constitutionally sound law, but it is also a moral prerogative and an essential tool to ensure that non-Indian men who assault Indian women are held accountable for their crimes.
The 2013 VAWA reauthorization might never have happened without the relentless efforts of Native women advocates like Tulalip Tribal Vice Chairwoman Deborah Parker, whose personal courage and dedication to this cause helped carry the day. The Tulalip Tribe was but one example that helped demonstrate to Congress and many others that there are tribal courts prepared to exercise this important authority that was swept away by the Supreme Court’s 1978 Oliphant ruling.
This new law generally takes effect on March 7, 2015, but also authorizes a voluntary pilot project to allow certain tribes to begin exercising this authority sooner.
After a visit to the Tribal Courthouse, we then visited the Tulalip Legacy of Healing Safe House, a domestic violence shelter housed in facilities renovated with federal Recovery Act funds, to provide victims a safe place, and the chance they need to start fresh and rebuild.
And finally, it wouldn’t have been an authentic trip to Tulalip lands and the Pacific Northwest without a traditional salmon luncheon. We joined around 50 tribal members at the Hibulb Cultural Center to learn more about the ancient tribal traditions of the Tulalip people, and of course, to enjoy the region’s most time-honored and delicious delicacy.
We were reminded this week of how much progress is being made by tribal justice systems across the country. These efforts are being led by courageous Native people like the Tulalip who are dedicated to making the promise of the VAWA 2013 Reauthorization into a reality for generations of Native American women.
A White House Blog Post. Valerie Jarrett is the Senior Advisor to the President and Tony West is the U.S. Associate Attorney General
By Karen Pickett, Bay Area Coalition for Headwaters
On Monday morning, Sept. 9, organizers from Idle No More Bay Area and supporters converged on the Canadian Consulate in San Francisco, Calif. to say “Shame on Canada.” They called for a stop to the disastrous effects on First Nations people and others in the sacrifice zone in Alberta, Canada due to tar sands mining and steam drilling, citing loss of livelihood, toxic contamination, cancers, and damaged and sick children. People called for a rapid wind down of tar sands mining, a halt to Keystone XL pipeline, sequestration of the wastewater, restoration of the devastated region, and reparations. Pull in the tentacles of the oil companies from around humanity’s neck!
During the several hours that people demonstrated, sang, prayed and drummed at the Consulate, a proclamation and list of demands was signed by everyone present and delivered to Consulate officials by Penny Opal Plant, one of the organizers of the demonstration.
Other co-sponsors of the on-going protests against Tar Sands development and the Keystone pipeline include Rising Tide, Do the Math and 350.org.
ARLINGTON — Experts are recommending that three north Snohomish County fire departments join forces to save money.
Instead of going it alone, the Arlington Fire Department, Silvana Fire District 19 and Arlington Rural Fire District 21 should consider forming a regional fire authority, according to a to a $76,000 study released Thursday.
The move could benefit the jurisdictions financially in the long run, said officials with the Portland-based Emergency Services Consulting International, the organization commissioned to do the study.
Many other fire departments, fire districts and emergency services organizations around the country have combined efforts to reduce costs, eliminate duplication of services and increase firefighting capabilities, said Don Bivins of the consulting firm.
Most recently, Stanwood joined the North County Regional Fire Authority in 2012. Similar agreements and discussions also have taken place in south county, where cities and fire departments spent years discussing a potential regional fire authority plan before the talks fell through earlier this year.
The study in north county showed that local fire districts and the Arlington Fire Department also might want to consider consolidating training efforts, equipment and volunteer services.
Currently, the only combination that seems to benefit any of the districts financially is the Arlington, Silvana and rural Arlington recommendation, Bivins said.
Nevertheless, the study recommends that North County Regional Fire Authority and Camano Island Fire and Rescue should look for ways to consolidate in the future, as should Darrington Fire District 24 and Oso Fire District 25. Another idea proposed in the study is that North County Fire might want to annex Tulalip’s fire department and Silvana District 19.
The study found that all fire districts in north Snohomish County need each other, but that all are protective of their territory and authority.
“Fear of combining forces is a normal reaction,” Bivins said. “However, the depth of this feeling in north Snohomish County was surprising.”
Arlington City Councilwoman Marilyn Oertle said she likes the recommendations made by the study.
“There is a lot of potential there,” Oertle said. “We need to do the right thing for the taxpayer.”
However, “the devil is in the details,” said Arlington Mayor Barb Tolbert.
“With this study, we got a lot of good information and I appreciate that it was clear that a regional fire authority could be beneficial,” Tolbert said. “But we are dealing with big concepts and it’s really very complex. We have a lot of work to do.”
REUTERS President Barack Obama addresses the nation about the situation in Syria from the East Room at the White House in Washington on Tuesday night.
By David Nakamura and Zachary A. Goldfarb, The Washington Post
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he will seize one last diplomatic opening to avoid military strikes on Syria but made a forceful case for why the United States must retaliate for that nation’s alleged use of chemical weapons if the effort fails.
In a nationally televised address, Obama cautiously welcomed a Russian proposal that the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad give up its stockpile of chemical weapons, signaling that he would drop his call for a military assault on the regime if Assad complies.
But with little guarantee that diplomacy would prevail, Obama argued that the nation must be prepared to strike Syria. Facing a skeptical public and Congress, the war-weary president said the United States carries the burden of using its military power to punish regimes that would flout long-held conventions banning the use of biological, chemical and nuclear weapons.
“If we fail to act, the Assad regime will see no reason to stop using chemical weapons,” Obama said. “The purpose of a strike would be to deter Assad from using chemical weapons and make clear to the world we will not tolerate their use.” But he added that he has “a deeply held preference for peaceful solutions” as he pledged to work with international partners to negotiate with Russia over a United Nations resolution on a Syria solution.
The speech was a plea from a president who, defying public opinion, has pushed the United States toward using force in Syria — and staked his and the nation’s credibility on whether he can get Congress to support him. But it also followed two days of intense political and diplomatic negotiations on Capitol Hill and abroad that appear to have shifted his calculus for how quickly to move forward with direct intervention.
Obama pledged that before pursuing military options, his administration would explore a surprise offer from Russia on Monday to persuade Assad to surrender his chemical weapons to United Nations inspectors.
The president had visited Congress in the afternoon, asking senators in both parties to delay a vote on a resolution that would authorize him to order strikes on Syrian government targets in retaliation for the alleged chemical attack on Aug. 21 that reportedly killed more than 1,400 Syrians near Damascus.
A White House official said Obama spent an hour apiece with the Democratic and Republican caucuses, reviewing evidence of the attack and reiterating his decision to pursue a “limited, targeted” military strike that would not involve U.S. troops on the ground in Syria.
But the president also told lawmakers that he would “spend the days ahead pursuing this diplomatic option with the Russians and our allies at the United Nations,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations.
The proposal appeared to be gaining traction Tuesday, as Syria embraced it and China and Iran voiced support. But a telephone conversation between French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, revealed a deep divide over their visions of the U.N. Security Council’s role and particularly over the prospect of military action to ensure that an agreement would be honored.
There also were doubts about how Syria’s stockpiles could be transferred to international monitors amid a protracted civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people.
The call took place after France said it would draft a Security Council resolution to put the Russian proposal into effect.
The Russian offer could serve as a potential escape hatch for a president who has at times appeared reluctant to pursue military force, even after saying he believed it was the right course to reinforce a “red line” against chemical weapons. Obama has struggled to build an international coalition for such action.
And with congressional and public support for a U.S. strike dwindling rapidly over the past week, Obama’s request to delay the Senate vote bought him time to try to convince the public that the White House is pursuing a viable and coherent strategy despite a muddled message since the alleged chemical attack.
“Bottom line is we’re all going to try to work together,” said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., after the lunch with Obama. “There is hope, but not yet trust in what the Russians are doing. But I think there’s a general view, whether people are for it or against it, there’s an overwhelming view that it would be preferable if international law and the family of nations could strip Syria of the chemical weapons. And there’s a large view we should let that process play out for a little while.”
Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, a key GOP proponent of a military strike in Syria, emphasized that the option of U.S. force remained viable, but he added that “it’s probably good for us just to take a pause.”
At the same time, administration officials made clear that they will not accept the Russian offer at face value or engage in protracted negotiations that indefinitely delay its response to Assad. Russia has consistently blocked U.N. action against Syria, its geopolitical ally, frustrating the Obama administration and leading the president to announce that he would pursue military strikes independent of that international body.
Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday that the United States would demand a Security Council resolution authorizing a strike if Syria refused to turn over its chemical stockpile, a provision the Russians promptly rejected.
Kerry told a House committee that the proposal “is the ideal way” to take chemical weapons away from Assad’s forces.
Russian President Vladimir Putin countered that the disarmament plan could succeed only if the United States and its allies renounced the use of force against Syria.
Kerry will travel to Europe this week to discuss the proposal with Lavrov, a senior administration official said later Tuesday. The meeting will be held Thursday in Geneva, where the United States and Russia hope to convene a separate peace conference on Syria, the official said.
“We need a full resolution from the Security Council,” Kerry said Tuesday during an online forum held by Google. “There have to be consequences if games are played.”
The stakes were high for Obama’s address to the nation. He has delivered just nine White House speeches in prime time, according to CBS Radio correspondent Mark Knoller, who keeps tallies on presidential appearances. Obama chose the grand East Room over the more intimate Oval Office, which is the traditional location for commanders in chief to talk to the country about war.
Experts said it made sense for Obama to delay the congressional vote because his hand would be strengthened even if the Russia proposal fails.
“It gets him out of his disastrous political mess,” said Rosa Brooks, a former Pentagon official. Obama will be able to say he made every effort to avoid a military conflict, making it “a lot easier for him to make the case for force.”
But other analysts were more circumspect, fearing that stalling on the part of Russia and Syria could give Assad time to hide his stockpile.
“The most dangerous downside,” said Jon Alterman, a former State Department official now at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, “is you get absorbed in endless processes which take you back to the status quo ante and you neither removed the weapons and you lost the momentum when there was support for action.”
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Washington Post staff writers Paul Kane and Ed O’Keefe contributed to this report.
