Massachusetts Senator Edward J. Markey, after choosing to cast a “present” vote last week on a Senate resolution that approved a military strike on Syria, clarified his position Tuesday morning, declaring his opposition.

“It is too broad, the effects of a strike are too unpredictable,” Markey told Boston Globe reporters. “I believe we must give diplomatic measures that could avoid military action a chance to work.”

Ultimately, Markey’s opposition to the Senate resolution may prove inconsequential. The Senate postponed a vote to close debate on the authorization for force Monday night while diplomatic solutions are pursued to remove alleged chemical weapons from the Syrian regime.

While Markey condemned the use of chemical weapons, calling the act “outside the bounds of civilized conduct,” he voiced concern about “unintended consequences” of military strikes that could lead to an unpredictable situation.

Markey does not dispute the administration’s evidence about Assad’s use of chemical weapons, but believes “such a military strike could actually make it more difficult for our nation to achieve its goals in the volatile region of the world.”

As the Obama administration’s “chief salesman to Congress,” Secretary of State John Kerry had been seeking the vote of Markey, who currently holds the state Senate seat previously occupied by Kerry for nearly 30 years.