Washington – The House voted again on Tuesday against limiting President Trump’s power to use U.S. military in Lebanon without congressional approval. This was introduced by Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, an updated version of a measure that failed earlier this month when Democratic leaders opposed it.
The vote ended with 189 supporting and 235 opposing the restriction on the president’s authority. The new version approved Democratic leaders would have directed the president to remove U.S. armed forces “from any hostilities in Lebanon” within seven days, without limiting security cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces or protection of diplomatic facilities.
Currently, no U.S. service members are involved in combat operations or hostilities in Lebanon. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said this change was made because there were currently no U.S. forces in Lebanon engaged in combat.
Tensions in southern Lebanon have threatened a final peace deal between the U.S. and Iran. Iran and Hezbollah have demanded full withdrawal of Israeli forces from the region as part of the agreement between Washington and Tehran to end the war. But an agreement signed last week between Israel and Lebanon to end fighting in southern Lebanon links Israel’s removal with Hezbollah’s disarmament, which Hezbollah has refused.
Tlaib said during floor debate that the vote was about “immediately ending all U.S. participation in the Israeli government’s violent assault against the people of Lebanon.” She accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing and territory expansion through its bombing campaign in southern Lebanon.
Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the updated version corrected flaws of the earlier measure. It will not infringe upon America’s national security interests in Lebanon while ensuring no change without congressional authorization.
Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said the updated measure was “not quite as ridiculous this time … but still significantly ridiculous.” He called it a win for terrorists and pointed out that Hezbollah is the entity wanting the fighting to continue.