Members of U.S. Congress question White House approach on Syria

(Reuters) The White House pressed its case on Sunday for military action in Syria but faced an uphill fight in Congress, where several prominent lawmakers said they have not been persuaded to approve strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

With a crucial test vote planned in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough made the rounds of five Sunday talk shows to argue that a limited strike in response to Syrian government's alleged use of chemical weapons would send a message of deterrence to regional foes.

But Mike Rogers, Republican chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a supporter of the strikes, said President Barack Obama had made "a hash" of his argument for military action to punish Assad.

"It's very clear he's lost support in the last week ... The president hasn't made the case," Rogers said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Obama's plan faces significant resistance from Republicans and his fellow Democrats in Congress, with many lawmakers worried military strikes in Syria could lead to a prolonged U.S. commitment there and spark broader conflicts in the region.

"I am asking where is the national security issue? Make no mistake about it, the minute that one of those cruise missiles lands in there, we are in the Syrian war," Democrat Loretta Sanchez of California said on NBC's "Meet the Press" program.

"For the president to say this is just a very quick thing and we are out of there, that's how long wars start," said Sanchez, who described herself as "leaning no."

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