House Authorizes US Military to Train, Equip Syrian Rebels - East Idaho News
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House Authorizes US Military to Train, Equip Syrian Rebels

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GETTY 91714 SyriaFlags?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1410989448478iStock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The House of Representatives voted Wednesday afternoon to approve President Obama’s request to authorize the U.S. military to train and equip vetted Syrian opposition forces.

By a vote of 273 to 156, the House easily passed the amendment, which was attached to a stop-gap spending bill to fund the government through Dec. 11. The bill was later passed by the House by a vote of 319 to 108.

Seventy-one Republicans and 85 Democrats opposed the vote on the Title X authority while 159 Republicans and 114 Democrats voted in favor of it.

The Title X authorization to aid Syrian opposition forces will expire at the latest by Dec. 11. If Congress clears a National Defense Authorization Act before that date, the authorization could expire even earlier.

Obama praised the passage of the authorization, calling the vote a step towards the U.S. making a “decisive difference” in confronting ISIS. He also urged the Senate to pass the bill “without delay,” while affirming his previous statements that no U.S. troops will be on the ground in Syria, and all training will occur outside of the Syrian borders.


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