By Josh Bergeron

josh.bergeron@salisburypost.com

Rowan County’s members of Congress responded favorably to news on Thursday that President Donald Trump launched a missile attack on Syria.

One called it a proportional response to chemical attacks days earlier. Another said the U.S. was asserting its leadership responsibility in eliminating genocide. A third said Trump sent a clear message. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-8, did not release a public statement about the airstrike.

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., was the first to speak about the airstrikes, which involved about 60 missiles fired at military airfield in Syria from which a chemical weapons attack was launched days earlier. The attack, which occurred against Syrian rebels, killed dozens of people and injured hundreds.

Tillis started by calling Syrian President Bashar al-Assad a war criminal.

“President Trump decisively responded to Assad’s latest atrocity to help prevent future ones, sending a clear message that when the Syrian regime crosses the red line, America will respond,” Tillis said in an emailed statement.

Responding to the airstrike, Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., characterized the chemical weapons attack as a “genocide against the Syrian people.”

“I am encouraged that the President decided to take action,” Burr said in an emailed statement. “The United States is once again asserting its leadership responsibility in eliminating genocide.”

Rep. Ted Budd, R-13, responded positively to Trump’s action, but he also offered advice.

“It was a proportional response to an atrocity,” Budd said about the airstrikes. “Before any further escalation of American involvement, I urge the President to work with Congress to craft a long-term strategy to address this issue.”

Poll: voters want Democrats to work with Trump

A recent poll conducted by High Point University found most voters prefer that Democrats in Congress spend more time working with than against President Donald Trump.

The poll, released Wednesday, showed 61 percent of voters prefer that Democrats work with Trump. That’s compared to 31 percent who prefer Democrats oppose what Trump hopes to accomplish.

The poll has a 4.8 percent margin of error. A total of 416 adults and 371 self-identified voters participated in the survey.

Other findings in High Point University’s poll include:

• A majority of voters approve of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The poll found 51 percent of voters support the Affordable Care Act, 44 percent oppose the measure and 6 percent said they didn’t know or refused to respond.

• A majority of voters said President Trump and Congress should work to repeal part, but not all, of the Affordable Care Act.

The poll found 21 percent of voters support a full repeal, 51 percent support a partial repeal, 24 percent support no repeal at all and 4 percent said they didn’t know or refused to answer.

Contact reporter Josh Bergeron at 704-797-4246.