Appearing before a Senate panel, Secretary of State John F. Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel struggled at times to frame a proposed military strike on Syria as tough enough to be worthwhile but limited enough to guarantee that the United States would not get dragged into another open-ended military commitment in the Middle East. Whatever prohibition clarifies it to Congress and the American people, there will not be American boots on the ground with respect to the civil war.” 
 
 Kerry and other administration officials said U.S. leadership and credibility are on the line in Syria, with Iran among the bystanders awaiting the American response to the alleged chemical weapons attack. And a well-designed and well executed strike that both deters the use of chemical weapons and diminishes the capacity of the Assad regime can contribute to the achievement of a clear and attainable goal: the ultimate displacement of the Assad regime by moderate elements within the opposition. (Photo: Dennis Brack, Getty Images) Story Highlights President Obama meets with members of Congress about Syria 
 
 Obama wants congressional authorization for military strike on Syria 
 
 Obama leaves Tuesday for trip to Sweden and Russia 
 
 President Obama said Tuesday he believes Congress will vote to authorize a military strike against Syria over the use of chemical weapons, and he won the support of the top two Republicans in the U.S. House.  House Majority Leader Eric Cantor today released the following statement on Syria and the regional conflict following his meeting with President Obama at the White House: 
 
 "I intend to vote to provide the President of the United States the option to use military force in Syria. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said after a White House meeting that he supports the president's "call for action" against Syria, and he believes most other congressional Republicans will do so as well. I believe that my colleagues should support this call for action.” 
 
 House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said he intends “to vote to provide the president of the United States the option to use military force in Syria.” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) voiced support for a strike, saying Assad had acted far outside the norms of civilized behavior. "All votes authorizing the use of military force are conscience votes for members, and passage will require direct, continuous engagement from the White House," the speaker said.
– President Obama took a big step forward in his quest to gain Congressional approval for a strike on Syria, convincing the leaders of both parties in the House to back his play. Obama held a meeting with John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, and other top lawmakers this morning, arguing that military action was necessary, but would be limited. "This is not Iraq, and this is not Afghanistan," he promised, according to CNN. He said he was confident Congress would back him, and soon thereafter, both Boehner and Pelosi announced that they would. "The United States for our entire history has stood up for democracy and freedom," Boehner said, according to the Washington Post. "These weapons have to be responded to." Eric Cantor issued a statement saying that he, too, would vote to intervene—though he didn't sound eager to strong-arm his caucus into following suit. "It is up to President Obama to make the case to Congress," he wrote, "and I hope he is successful." Mitch McConnell was also at the meeting, but hasn't yet voiced his intentions—though Obama already has two Senate Republicans in his corner in John McCain and Lindsey Graham. But despite all that support, the vote could be close, USA Today warns, as some lawmakers worry that the resolution is too open-ended.