Sen. Manchin suspends W.Va. events to return to DC for Syria briefings on military strike

Sen. Joe Manchin is suspending his West Virginia events for the upcoming week to return to Washington to attend briefings on the situation in Syria.

President Barack Obama announced Saturday that he will seek congressional approval for military action intended to punish Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons in an attack that killed hundreds.

Manchin said Sunday that he was suspending events in West Virginia scheduled for Tuesday through Friday.

In a statement, Manchin said the decision to authorize the use of U.S. military force and weapons is one of the most difficult that a country can make.

He said he'll attend briefings with the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees and others to ensure he has all the information available before the Senate begins debate.