Will Congress Support Military Action In Syria? A ThinkProgress Whip Count [UPDATED]

[WillyT]

Will Congress Support Military Action In Syria? A ThinkProgress Whip Count [UPDATED]
BY IGOR VOLSKY, JUDD LEGUM AND REBECCA LEBER - ThinkProgress
SEPTEMBER 2, 2013 AT 7:07 PM



Updated: September 4, 5:00 PM

<snip>

As members of Congress consider President Obama’s request to authorize military force in Syria, following evidence that President Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons killed over 1,400 people, a ThinkProgress analysis of the public statements of 289 Representatives found that 169 lawmakers have either decisively ruled out supporting the measure or say they are unlikely to back it.
Just 46 of the 289 members of the House of Representatives said they will definitely or likely vote in favor or the resolution. Seventy-four are undecided.



Republicans were far more likely to oppose military action in Syria, while Democrats were more likely to support it. The numbers are a contrast to 2002, when Democrats in the House provided “the bulk of the opposition” to President George W. Bush’s Iraq war resolution — though a majority of Democrats (61 percent) still backed war. Only six House Republicans voted against the Iraq war in 2002.

<And...>

Each member’s individual position, along with sourcing, can be found in this spreadsheet:

<snip>

More: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/09/02/2561371/congress-support-military-action-syria-thinkprogress-whip-count/

[backscatter712]

1. K&R! You need to be calling your Congresscritters! n/t

[pscot]

2. I told mine

If he votes for this, I'll vote for somebody else. He was primaried last time, but won easily. This may change things.

[David__77]

3. The house is where patriots can come together to defeat this thing!

We CAN win - it is entirely possible. The people's house is less beholden to the rancid elites that then senate.

[pampango]

4. The republican-led House "is less beholden to the rancid elites that the (Democratic) senate".

There is a new post for DU.

[David__77]

5. When Pelosi led it, the same was true.

It's not so much a matter of partisan control as some other factor. It is not uncommon for the senate to be nearly unanimous with an issue on which the establishment (but not the people) is united, but then the house to soundly defeat it. The people's house is called that precisely because its members are more beholden to local constituents. Not formally, but in practice.

[truedelphi]

8. And that is why we saw the Congressional legislation that led to lowering postal

Rates for small businesses, while Time/Life/Warner and Amazon had to pay more. And also the impeachment of George W.

Oh wait, haven't quite woken from my nap.

[pampango]

9. This is the House that has voted to repeal Obamacare 40 times, is killing immigration reform and is

the biggest proponent of sequestration (wanting to make it more severe and permanent). That spells "less beholden to the rancid elites" to you?

The republicans in the House would not care, of course, but might be amused that they are being depicted on DU as "patriots" and "less beholden to the rancid elites than the (the Democrats in the) senate". That is what they have been telling their supporters for ages.

[David__77]

18. Relatively speaking, it is true.

The Democrats in the house are better than those in the senate - it has always been so. The same generally goes with the Republicans. Of course the Democrats in the senate are better than the Republicans in the house - there is no comparison at all. I am speaking in relative terms.

[pampango]

19. "Democrats in the senate are better than the Republicans in the house - there is no comparison ..."

Now you are confusing me. I thought the House (with its republican majority that, per the OP, as leaning towards a No vote by an 11-1 margin) was "less beholden to the rancid elites that then senate (with its Democratic majority a majority of whom will probably vote Yes).

I would agree with you wholeheartedly that "Democrats in the senate are better than the Republicans in the house - there is no comparison at all."

[David__77]

20. Not on this issue, but overall.

It would be silly to pick a single vote. Republicans are taking the right position in part for the wrong reasons. It doesn't make their ideology right.

[pampango]

22. We agree then. I mistook your post above as more generalized.w

"The people's house is less beholden to the rancid elites that then senate." I did not understand that you were limiting that to this one issue.

[former9thward]

21. Bottom line, do the American people support another military action in the Middle East?

They do not. Spin it whatever way you want. Syrian war supporters are throwing every issue they can to smear the anti-war American majority. "The House voted against Obamacare, lowered taxes, etc., etc. so if they vote against the war then you are with them on those other issues too!" Lame fail.

[pampango]

23. Of course not. Neither does this convergence of interests mean that the House has been transformed

into the "people's house" that "is less beholden to the rancid elites than the senate" as the poster stated.

[Codeine]

13. I'll bear that in mind the next time they vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Less beholden to rancid elites my fucking ass.

[KharmaTrain]

17. They'll Vote Again...

...to repeal Obamacare.

Patriots in the house?

Not "beholden to the rancid elite"?

Rushpublicans?

I think you forgot one of these:

[KoKo]

6. Thanks for Update...The "Undecideds are the Key."

[quinnox]

7. Looks like the war pushers/interventionists have got a lot of persuading and explainin' to do

to sell their new and shiny intervention.

[LuvNewcastle]

10. Encouraging numbers, but why do I have a feeling that

the warmongers have something up their sleeve that will sway those undecideds at the last minute?

[Catherina]

11. K&R! n/t

[davidpdx]

12. I have said that I believe there is a good chance the House will vote no

This confirms that strong possibility. For the resolution to pass most of the undecided/unknowns would have to vote yes. The Senate may have advanced the bill, but it won't matter if it doesn't pass the House.

Undecided

Bonamici (OR)
Walden (OR)

[David Krout]

14. Thinkprogress is doing a great job

Tracking this down.

[davidpdx]

15. I agree, quite a bit more positive then what Moveon is doing

[David Krout]

16. What is this negative thing Moveon is allegedly doing? nt