WASHINGTON — The House on Wednesday approved President Barack Obama’s plan to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels to counter the growing threat of the Islamic State terrorist organization, even though lawmakers in both parties remain skeptical about its chances for success.
The vote placed Congress one step closer to authorizing the third U.S. military operation in Iraq in the last quarter century, and also put lawmakers on record approving U.S. engagement in the years-long Syrian civil war. It delivered Obama much-needed domestic political support as he seeks an international coalition to combat the growing threat of Islamist terrorism in the Middle East.
The tally — 273 to 156 — also revealed widespread misgivings in both parties about the plan’s chances of success, even among lawmakers who voted in favor of it.
Obama’s proposal was opposed by more than 40 percent of Democrats, many of whom are concerned that new U.S. military operations in the Middle East could fester for years with no clear strategy or definition of success.
Republicans provided the lion’s share of support, but many are worried that Obama’s plans are too limited. A top GOP leader suggested Congress could give the president blanket military authority, even if Obama doesn’t want it, when lawmakers hold a much broader debate after the November elections.
Obama on Wednesday repeated his promise not to send combat forces into the military campaign against Islamic State, telling troops in a speech at Florida’s MacDill Air Force Base that he will “not commit you fighting another ground war in Iraq.”
In a statement after the House vote, Obama said, “There will be no U.S. military personnel in Syria as part of this program. We’ve learned over the last decade, and through our successful campaign to degrade al-Qaeda, that it is more effective to use America’s unique capabilities to take out terrorist targets in support of our partners’ efforts on the ground to secure their own future.”
The amendment authorizing Obama’s plans was part of a short-term spending bill keeping the federal government operating through mid-December. Supporters included 159 Republicans and 114 Democrats, while 85 Democrats and 71 Republicans voted against the amendment.
In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., was preparing to hold a vote on the spending measure Thursday. The bill is expected to pass, but Reid will not earn unified support from Democrats.
In more than six hours of debate spread over two days, few House lawmakers stepped forward to give a full-throated endorsement of the Obama plan.
Every ideological corner of the House found reason to doubt the mission, portending a lengthy debate in November and December over an expansive use-of-force resolution. Some Democrats are eyeing tighter constraints on military engagement, and some Republicans are trying to expand the battlefield.
Several lawmakers who are military veterans or still serving in the armed forces voted against the authorization. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., a Marine who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, said the authority “does nothing” to destroy Islamic State.
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, a captain in the Hawaii National Guard who served in Iraq, called Obama’s strategy “unrealistic” and worried “it will take way too long” to work.
But some of the earliest opponents of entering Iraq in 2003 found themselves voting yes while offering little assurance of military success. “It’s the best choice of worse options,” said Rep. James Moran, D-Va., a retiring lawmaker who voted against authorizing the Iraq war 12 years ago.
GOP leaders were helped when the Club for Growth, an influential conservative group, decided not to include the vote on the government funding bill on its scorecard for GOP lawmakers. The group informed House lawmakers in a memo that it doesn’t take positions on legislation “driven by foreign policy.”
How Colorado voted
The House voted 273-156 on Wednesday to give the U.S. military authority to train and arm Syrian rebels. A “yes” vote is a vote in favor of the measure.
Yes: Democrats Diana DeGette and Ed Perlmutter; Republicans Mike Coffman, Cory Gardner, Doug Lamborn
No: Democrat Jared Polis; Republican Scott Tipton
