Representative Matt Gaetz's (R-FL) War Powers Resolution to withdraw US troops remaining in Syria has been voted down.
With a vote count of 103-321, Rep. Gaetz's measure was rejected by both parties.
Rep. Gaetz introduced the resolution in late February, which initially required the withdrawal of all 900 troops stationed in Syria within 15 days of its adoption, and included four soldiers wounded in a raid to kill a senior Islamic State (ISIS) commander.
Gaetz made a concerted effort to build bipartisan support for the resolution.
To this end, he consulted with President Obama's former ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, to make the resolution more palatable to Democrats, including an extension from the original 15-day deadline to 6 months, which earned him support from the Congressional Progressive Caucus, including Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN).
Among House Republicans, support came from fellow Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R), Representative Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA).
Rep. Luna spoke on the House floor in favor of the resolution, tweeting, "As far as I know, Members of Congress don’t swear an oath to the people of Syria, Ukraine or anywhere else – we swear an oath to the people of the United States."
As far as I know, Members of Congress don’t swear an oath to the people of Syria, Ukraine or anywhere else – we swear an oath to the people of the United States. pic.twitter.com/AzfUohWMc2
— Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) March 8, 2023
Gaetz remained pessimistic, telling Breitbart he expected little support from Democrats, for he believed that "there is a group-think that besets the Congress on matters of foreign affairs."
"There is a group-think that besets the Congress on matters of foreign affairs. Far too many get elected to Congress and relish in their role as a world leader and [want] the United States involved in every corner and crevice of the globe. Throughout my life, I’ve seen that at times we are not the vaccines — we’re the chaos. We are the virus," Gaetz told Breitbart.
Surprisingly, more Democrats voted "yea" than Republicans did.
