White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough said on Fox News Sunday it was too early to come to any conclusions about whether President Obama had the votes in the House and Senate to pass the resolution authorizing military force in Syria:
CHRIS WALLACE: In the House, they now have 226 members against or leaning no. 182 undecided and only 25, 25 in favor. Question. As we sit here today, do you have the votes in the Senate and separately in the House to pass this resolution?
MCDONOUGH: Look, we've been working this now for several days while members are in their states and districts, so I think it's too early to come to any conclusion. Let me be very clear about what is happening in my conversations with members of Congress. Not a person, I have talked to dozens. Not a person is rebutting or refuting the intelligence. That is to say we know what happened on August 21. He used chemical weapons, Assad used chemical weapons against his people. So the question now for Congress to resolve this week is, are there consequences for a dictator who would have used those weapons to gas to death hundreds of children? The answer to that question is interesting in Damascus, and it will be followed closely in Damascus, but will also be followed closely in Tehran, among Lebanese, Hezbollah and others, so this is a very important week.