House approves Obama’s plan to arm Syrian rebels, but doubts linger

Despite deep reluctance from lawmakers, the House on Wednesday approved President Obama’s plan to arm Syrian rebels in the fight against Islamic State militants, with the Senate expected to give final passage Thursday.

But while the 273-156 vote was an important endorsement of the president’s new military campaign, it exposed more doubt than resolve among lawmakers from both parties over the administration’s approach.

Republicans and Democrats are skeptical of Obama’s plan to supplement U.S. airstrikes by training and arming Syrian opposition forces, whose abilities and trustworthiness remain untested. Members of both parties also fear entering a protracted battle that some worry could ultimately require American troops on the ground, despite assurances from Obama that combat forces will not be deployed.

“It’s very sad that we find ourselves again in this situation,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), who made the case that lawmakers should back the president’s approach. “We have to protect our country.”

The resolution was attached to a must-pass spending bill that’s required to fund the government and avert another shutdown, making it more difficult for lawmakers to refuse.

Both the stop-gap spending bill and the authority to arm Syrians are effective only until December, all but guaranteeing another debate in the postelection lame-duck session of Congress.

Comments from the Pentagon’s top military officer on Wednesday that U.S. ground troops may be needed in some circumstances only heightened the unease of many lawmakers opposed to overseas combat in the aftermath of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Lawmakers from both parties vowed to return from the November election to force a debate -- and vote -- on whether the president should be able to engage in broader military action.

“What in the world are we doing?” said Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) on Wednesday before the vote. “Congress should be examining all of the solutions to this crisis, not just the military ones.”

Although the administration maintains that the U.S. is conducting airstrikes against targets in Iraq and Syria under War Powers Resolution authority granted by Congress in 2001 and 2002, lawmakers increasingly argue those resolutions do not cover this effort.

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