House Democrats help GOP kill Rashida Tlaib push to constrain Trump on Lebanon
· Axios
The majority of House Democrats voted with Republicans on Thursday to defeat a Lebanon war powers resolution forced to the House floor by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.).
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Why it matters: It's a blow to the anti-war left just one day after the House passed a similar measure constraining Trump's ability to wage war in Iran.
- Wednesday's Iran vote was the result of months of behind-the-scenes efforts by Democratic leadership to get the party's most staunchly pro-Israel lawmakers on board, along with a handful of Republicans.
- But Thursday's vote reveals that there are still deep divisions between progressive and centrist Democrats on Middle East policy despite their unity on Iran.
Driving the news: The House voted 92 to 324 against Tlaib's resolution, which would have directed President Trump to remove all U.S. armed forces from Lebanon within seven days of passage.
- A decisive majority of Democrats opposed the measure, with 117 voting against it and 91 voting in favor of it.
- One Republican voted for the resolution, with two Democrats voting present.
What they're saying: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and his top deputies came out against the resolution ahead of the vote, saying in a statement "there are no U.S. service-members involved in combat operations or hostilities in Lebanon."
- "We stand with the Lebanese people, the government of Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces in their efforts to live peacefully and defeat Hezbollah," they said.
- The leaders said they would support an alternative resolution that would preserve U.S. coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces in their fight against Hezbollah.