6 Sep 2013
Obama still well short of congressional support on Syria
FXstreet.com (Barcelona) - The Obama administration is still far from getting the much-needed endorsements for limited military action against the Syrian regime, with only about 20 members (or 5%) of the House publicly supporting a military strike, while over 350 House members are 'undecided', with 217 required to make or break the vote, Bloomberg reports.
According to Bloomberg, "There is an unusual alliance of Tea Party Republicans and antiwar Democrats who make up the bulk of at least 68 lawmakers opposed to military action -- 54 Republicans and 14 Democrats, according to a Bloomberg News tally", adding that "It would take 217 votes to kill the measure in the House, or to pass it."
The current split portrays the arduous job ahead for U.S. President Barack Obama to get congressional support, with Representative Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat supporting the military strike, cited by Bloomberg as saying "many members on both sides of the aisle are struggling with this issue.”
As Bloomberg adds: "The threshold in the Senate is 60 votes, and Obama can count on only about 20 confirmed yesses, based on public statements made by senators. The full Senate is expected to vote next week, with the House to follow."
According to Bloomberg, "There is an unusual alliance of Tea Party Republicans and antiwar Democrats who make up the bulk of at least 68 lawmakers opposed to military action -- 54 Republicans and 14 Democrats, according to a Bloomberg News tally", adding that "It would take 217 votes to kill the measure in the House, or to pass it."
The current split portrays the arduous job ahead for U.S. President Barack Obama to get congressional support, with Representative Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat supporting the military strike, cited by Bloomberg as saying "many members on both sides of the aisle are struggling with this issue.”
As Bloomberg adds: "The threshold in the Senate is 60 votes, and Obama can count on only about 20 confirmed yesses, based on public statements made by senators. The full Senate is expected to vote next week, with the House to follow."