Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
As expected, the Senate approved President Obama’s plan to arm and train the Syrian rebels by a vote of 78 to 22 on Thursday, a day after the bill was passed by the House. Twelve Republicans and nine Democrats voted “no,” including potential presidential candidates Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and Elizabeth Warren. The vote allowed members of Congress to deal with the issue before heading home to focus on the midterms, but it’s far from over. The measure was attached to a routine spending bill that expires on December 11, so we can expect a difficult debate during the lame-duck session about whether to merely extend the training program or give Obama a broader authorization of military force against ISIS.
