Congress Votes No No, While Their Lips Say Yes Yes!
Despite the setback, administration officials worked to win the support of reluctant lawmakers in the hours before Obama was delivering a nationally television speech.
It's kind of hard to keep track without a scorecard, amirite? Congressional leadership criticizes Obama for not getting their permission to take military action, but they're quick to refuse it when he asks. Yet the GOPers are the ones running all over the place, trying to get the country all worked up over Big Scary Isis who are coming here to behead us all, and saying Obama's "lack of action" makes us look "weak." They don't even bother trying to make sense anymore:
House Republicans have rebuffed President Barack Obama's request for explicit approval to train and equip Syrian rebels battling forces seeking creation of an Islamic State and to spend up to $2 billion stabilizing the situation in Ukraine, Iraq and other hotspots, officials said Wednesday.
Despite the setback, administration officials worked to win the support of reluctant lawmakers in the hours before Obama was delivering a nationally television speech to the nation laying out his strategy for combating militants with Islamic State group.
Officials said Obama made two specific requests of lawmakers as they drafted a sweeping spending bill to keep the government open past the end of the Sept. 30 budget year. Neither was included in the bill that the House is scheduled to vote on Thursday, but the situation remained fluid.
The White House request asks for "authority to train and equip appropriately vetted elements of the Syrian armed opposition to help defend the Syrian people from attacks by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Syrian regime" as well as stabilize areas in Syria under rebel control.
Obama pressed leaders for the authority in a private meeting Tuesday. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says Congress should support the authorization.
"It's clear to me that we need to train and equip Syrian rebels and other groups in the Middle East that need some help," Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday. "The president has tried to get that from us and we should give it to him. That's one way of helping to build an international coalition."