Congressional pressure on President Donald Trump to act forcefully against the Bashar al-Assad regime in Syria escalated dramatically April 5 following reports that a chemical weapons attack had killed at least 60 people in Idlib province.

Democrats wasted no time faulting the president for his apparent disinterest in playing an active role in ending the six-year conflict while downplaying the Barack Obama administration's own failures. Several cast the White House as beholden to Moscow amid investigations into Russia's ties to Trump's presidential campaign.

"While President Trump cozies up to [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad and the Russians, children and civilians have once again been gassed in Syria," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement. She went on to demand a "comprehensive" intelligence briefing "as soon as possible."

Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also pointed the finger at Russia because of its responsibility to remove chemical weapons from Syria under a deal reached in 2013 with the Obama administration following a gas attack on the Damascus suburbs.