WASHINGTON (AP) — Members of Congress are rushing to authorize an expanded mission to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels for the fight against Islamic State fighters who have conquered large parts of Iraq and Syria. The House and Senate are looking to wrap up work Friday before a nearly two-month recess in preparation for November’s midterm elections.
The authorization being considered will likely be included as an amendment to a spending bill Congress must pass to keep the government open until mid-December. That would give lawmakers the opportunity to hold a separate debate and vote on the matter — something members of both parties want.
The measure doesn’t authorize U.S. combat troops in Iraq or Syria — but it also doesn’t specifically ban them. That reflects a congressional divide between those seeking tougher action than proposed by President Barack Obama, and lawmakers who are weary from more than a decade of U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
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