Republican slams Obama for not attending Paris march

Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) said Monday that the Obama administration should have sent a more prominent representative to a rally in Paris, France over the weekend in a show of solidarity with victims of last week’s terror attacks.

Forty world leaders, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas were in attendance at Sunday’s rally in Paris after the attack on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. More than a million people total took to the streets of Paris.

{mosads}Poe argued the conspicuous absence of prominent U.S. officials suggested the Obama administration didn’t value its alliance with France.

“Unfortunately the United States president, the vice president and Secretary of State did not show up and support this solidarity meeting. That is unfortunate,” Poe said on the House floor.

“Freedom is under stack by these terrorists,” Poe continued. “The United States should be more outspoken in our support of the French people.”

Attorney General Eric Holder was in Paris for a meeting related to the attacks but didn’t participate in the march.