A few hours ago, the House voted to provide funding to arm the "moderate" rebels in Syria to fight ISIS, deepening US military involvement in the situation in Iraq and Syria.
Last week, the New York Times had an excellent article on how defining clear-cut "moderates" in Syria is a near impossible feat, one asking for trouble:
“You are not going to find this neat, clean, secular rebel group that respects human rights and that is waiting and ready because they don’t exist,” said Aron Lund, a Syria analyst who edits the Syria in Crisis blog for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “It is a very dirty war and you have to deal with what is on offer.”
....
The Syrian rebels are a scattered archipelago of mostly local forces with ideologies that range from nationalist to jihadist. Their rank-and-file fighters are largely from the rural underclass, with few having clear political visions beyond a general interest in greater rights or the dream of an Islamic state.
Most have no effective links to the exile Syrian National Coalition, meaning they have no political body to represent their cause. And the coalition’s Supreme Military Council, which was intended to unite the moderate rebel forces, has all but collapsed.
Nancy Pelosi did not go in full whipping mode to get Democrats on board, but she certainly
pressured them to back the president's new war.
The resolution in question, offered as an amendment by Buck McKeon (CA-25), passed 273 to 156. 159 Republicans and 114 Democrats voted for it. 71 Republicans and 85 Democrats voted against it. In other words, a majority of both parties just voted for war.
Here are the 114 Democrats that voted for the amendment:
Ron Barber (AZ-02)
John Barrow (GA-12)
Karen Bass (CA-37)
Joyce Beatty (OH-03)
Xavier Becerra (CA-34)
Ami Bera (CA-07)
Sanford Bishop (GA-02)
Timothy Bishop (NY-01)
Earl Blumenauer (OR-03)
Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01)
Bob Brady (PA-01)
Bruce Braley (IA-01)
Corrine Brown (FL-05)
Julia Brownley (CA-26)
Cheri Bustos (IL-17)
G. K. Butterfield (NC-01)
Tony Cárdenas (CA-29)
John Carney (DE-AL)
Andre Carson (IN-07)
Matt Cartwright (PA-17)
Kathy Castor (FL-14)
Joaquin Castro (TX-20)
Judy Chu (CA-27)
Lacy Clay (MO-01)
Jim Clyburn (SC-06)
Steve Cohen (TN-09)
Gerry Connolly (VA-11)
John Conyers (MI-13)
Jim Costa (CA-16)
Joe Courtney (CT-02)
Joe Crowley (NY-14)
Henry Cuellar (TX-28)
Susan Davis (CA-53)
Diana DeGette (CO-01)
John Delaney (MD-06)
Suzan DelBene (WA-01)
Ted Deutch (FL-21)
John Dingell (MI-12)
Keith Ellison (MN-05)
Eliot Engel (NY-6)
Bill Enyart (IL-12)
Chaka Fattah (PA-02)
Bill Foster (IL-11)
Pete Gallego (TX-23)
Joe Garcia (FL-26)
Al Green (TX-09)
Gene Green (TX-29)
Denny Heck (WA-10)
Brian Higgins (NY-26)
Ruben Hinojosa (TX-15)
Steven Horsford (NV-04)
Steny Hoyer (MD-05)
Steve Israel (NY-03)
Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18)
Hank Johnson (GA-04)
Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)
Dan Kildee (MI-05)
Derek Kilmer (WA-06)
Ron Kind (WI-03)
Ann Kirkpatrick (AZ-01)
Annie Kuster (NH-02)
Jim Langevin (RI-02)
Rick Larsen (WA-02)
Sandy Levin (MI-09)
Dan Lipinski (IL-03)
David Loebsack (IA-02)
Nita Lowey (NY-17)
Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01)
Stephen Lynch (MA-08)
Jim Matheson (UT-04)
Carolyn McCarthy (NY-04)
Mike McIntyre (NC-07)
Jerry McNerney (CA-09)
Gregory Meeks (NY-05)
Jim Moran (VA-08)
Patrick Murphy (FL-18)
Richard Neal (MA-01)
Bill Owens (NY-21)
Bill Pascrell (NJ-09)
Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
Ed Perlmutter (CO-07)
Scott Peters (CA-52)
Gary Peters (MI-14)
Collin Peterson (MN-07)
David Price (NC-04)
Mike Quigley (IL-05)
Nick Rahall (WV-03)
Cedric Richmond (LA-02)
Lucille Royball-Allard (CA-40)
Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
Dutch Ruppersberger (MD-02)
Tim Ryan (OH-13)
Linda Sánchez (CA-38)
John Sarbanes (MD-03)
Jan Schakowsky (IL-09)
Adam Schiff (CA-28)
Bradley Schneider (IL-10)
Kurt Schrader (OR-05)
Allyson Schwartz (PA-13)
Bobby Scott (VA-03)
David Scott (GA-13)
Terri Sewell (AL-07)
Brad Sherman (CA-30)
Kyrsten Sinema (AZ-09)
Adam Smith (WA-09)
Juan Vargas (CA-51)
Marc Veasey (TX-33)
Filemon Vela (TX-34)
Tim Walz (MN-01)
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23)
Maxine Waters (CA-43)
Henry Waxman (CA-33)
Frederica Wilson (FL-24)
John Yarmuth (KY-03)
Here are the 85 that voted against it:
Lois Capps (CA-24)
Mike Capuano (MA-07)
David Cicilline (RI-01)
Katherine Clark (MA-05)
Yvette Clarke (NY-9)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Elijah Cummings (MD-07)
Danny Davis (IL-07)
Pete DeFazio (OR-04)
Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)
Lloyd Doggett (TX-35)
Mike Doyle (PA-14)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Donna Edwards (MD-04)
Anna Eshoo (CA-18)
Elizabeth Esty (CT-05)
Sam Farr (CA-20)
Lois Frankel (FL)
Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
John Garamendi (CA-03)
Alan Grayson (FL-09)
Raul Grijalva (AZ-03)
Luis Gutiérrez (IL-04)
Janice Hahn (CA-44)
Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Rush Holt (NJ-12)
Mike Honda (CA-17)
Jared Huffman (CA-02)
Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
Eddie Johnson (TX-30)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Robin Kelly (IL-02)
Joe Kennedy (MA-04)
John Larson (CT-01)
Barbara Lee (CA-13)
John Lewis (GA-05)
Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
Ben Luján (NM-03)
Dan Maffei (NY-24)
Carolyn Maloney (NY-12)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Doris Matsui (CA-06)
Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Jim McDermott (WA-07)
Jim McGovern (MA-02)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
Mike Michaud (ME-02)
George Miller (CA-11)
Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Jerry Nadler (NY-10)
Grace Napolitano (CA-32)
Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA-35)
Rick Nolan (MN-08)
Beto O'Rourke (TX-16)
Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
Ed Pastor (AZ-07)
Donald Payne (NJ-190)
Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
Mark Pocan (WI-02)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Charlie Rangel (NY-13)
Bobby Rush (IL-01)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
Jose Serrano (NY-15)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Albio Sires (NJ-08)
Louise Slaughter (NY-25)
Jackie Speier (CA-14)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Mark Takano (CA-41)
Mike Thompson (CA-05)
Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
John Tierney (MA-06)
Dina Titus (NV-01)
Paul Tonko (NY-20)
Niki Tsongas (MA-03)
Chris Van Hollen (MD-08)
Nydia Velázquez (NY-07)
Pete Visclosky (IN-01)
Pete Welch (VT-AL)
But wait. That was just an amendment. Congressional leaders (shamelessly) attached the war amendment to a Continuing Resolution.
Consequently, a vote for the C.R. is a vote for the amendment.
The C.R. passed 319 to 108. 176 Republicans and 143 Democrats voted for it. 53 Republicans and 55 Democrats voted against it.
Two of the Democrats who voted against the C.R. also voted for the war amendment: Jim Matheson (UT-04) and Kurt Schrader (OR-05), both Blue Dogs.
Which Democrats voted against the amendment but yes on the C.R. which would enact the amendment they claimed to oppose?
Lois Capps (CA-24)
Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05)
Elijah Cummings (MD-07)
Mike Doyle (PA-14)
Donna Edwards (MD-04)
Anna Eshoo (CA-18)
Elizabeth Esty (CT-05)
Sam Farr (CA-20)
Alan Grayson (FL-09)
Janice Hahn (CA-44)
Jim Himes (CT-04)
Mike Honda (CA-17)
Eddie Johnson (TX-30)
Bill Keating (MA-09)
Robin Kelly (IL-02)
Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
Ben Luján (NM-03)
Doris Matsui (CA-06)
Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Gwen Moore (WI-04)
Grace Napolitano (CA-32)
Gloria Negrete McLeod (CA-35)
Rick Nolan (MN-08)
Ed Pastor (AZ-07)
Bobby Rush (IL-01)
Loretta Sanchez (CA-46)
Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01)
Albio Sires (NJ-08)
Mike Thompson (CA-05)
Dina Titus (NV-01)
Chris Van Hollen (MD-08)
Pete Visclosky (IN-01)
So that leaves the real anti-war caucus at only 55:
Mike Capuano (MA-07)
David Cicilline (RI-01)
Katherine Clark (MA-05)
Yvette Clarke (NY-9)
Jim Cooper (TN-05)
Danny Davis (IL-07)
Pete DeFazio (OR-04)
Rosa DeLauro (CT-03)
Lloyd Doggett (TX-35)
Tammy Duckworth (IL-08)
Lois Frankel (FL)
Marcia Fudge (OH-11)
Tulsi Gabbard (HI-02)
John Garamendi (CA-03)
Raul Grijalva (AZ-03)
Luis Gutiérrez (IL-04)
Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01)
Alcee Hastings (FL-20)
Rush Holt (NJ-12)
Jared Huffman (CA-02)
Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08)
Joe Kennedy (MA-04)
John Larson (CT-01)
Barbara Lee (CA-13)
John Lewis (GA-05)
Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
Dan Maffei (NY-24)
Carolyn Maloney (NY-12)
Sean Maloney (NY-18)
Jim McDermott (WA-07)
Jim McGovern (MA-02)
Grace Meng (NY-06)
Mike Michaud (ME-02)
George Miller (CA-11)
Jerry Nadler (NY-10)
Beto O'Rourke (TX-16)
Frank Pallone (NJ-06)
Donald Payne (NJ-190)
Chellie Pingree (ME-01)
Mark Pocan (WI-02)
Jared Polis (CO-02)
Charlie Rangel (NY-13)
Jose Serrano (NY-15)
Louise Slaughter (NY-25)
Jackie Speier (CA-14)
Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
Mark Takano (CA-41)
Bennie Thompson (MS-02)
John Tierney (MA-06)
Paul Tonko (NY-20)
Niki Tsongas (MA-03)
Nydia Velázquez (NY-07)
Pete Welch (VT-AL)
And lest you think the US is deepening its military involvement out of any iota of humanitarian concern....
GENEVA (Reuters) - The United Nations will have to slash food rations to four million Syrians by 40 percent in October due to a shortage of funds, despite better access to areas in need, a senior U.N. aid official said on Wednesday.
That's right: all of the money needed for weapons, but never enough for
food.