In a major bipartisan rebuke to the progressive faction of the Democratic Party, the House of Representatives blocked a War Powers Resolution on Thursday that would have withdrawn U.S. forces from Lebanon. 

The measure, introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), prematurely stalled in a lopsided 92 to 324 vote, after top House Democrats came alongside the Republican majority to soundly defeat it.

The resolution would have forced President Trump to evacuate all U.S. Armed Forces from the country within seven days of its adoption. In response, a massive bipartisan coalition contested that the bill was fundamentally flawed, lacking sufficient legal precedent, and posing a danger to the country’s national security interests in the region. 

Democrats Reject the Push

The recent vote exposes a deeply rooted divide in the Democratic Party over foreign policy. While 91 Democrats supported the resolution, the party’s top leader strongly rejected it prior to lawmakers taking to the floor. 

In a joint statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Minority Whip Katheirne Clark (D-Mass.), and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) asserted that “currently, there are no U.S. servicemembers involved in combat operations or hostilities in Lebanon.”

Democratic leaders warned that a blanket evacuation would effectively undermine the regional counter-terrorism efforts taking place in the country. 

“We stand with the Lebanese people, the government of Lebanon, and the Lebanese Armed Forces in their efforts to live peacefully and defeat Hezbollah, a violent terrorist organization that is a sworn enemy of the United States,” the pact of leaders added.

Additional prominent Democrats rebuked the sweeping nature of the bill. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) remarked that while he strongly opposes “forever wars,” he chose to vote against the measure due to it “containing provisions that would harm — not help — our peacekeeping efforts in Lebanon.”

Likewise, Jewish Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) issued a joint statement expounding that the U.S. troops present in Lebanon are there solely to support the legitimate government. They quickly followed up by explaining that their opposition should not be viewed as a condoning of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposed military objective but affirmed that “the current Lebanese government … deserves our assistance.”

Floor Debate Turns Personal 

The atmosphere on the floor leading up to the vote quickly took on an intense level of hostility. Tlaib defended her resolution by highlighting the continually rising toll on citizens resulting from the Israeli and Iranian state conflict. 

“We must end the participation in the Israeli government’s violent assault on Lebanon,” Tlaib argued, condemning the United States for being an “active participant” in what she described as “war crimes.” Taking to social media, Tlaib underscored the apparent urgency, writing, “The people of Lebanon can’t wait another month for Congress to act.”

Republican members pushed back against Tlaib’s rhetoric. Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, rejected the core of his Democratic counterpart’s argument, stating that Tlaib was demanding the removal of U.S. forces “from a country where we are not in conflict.” It should be noted that the only U.S. military personnel currently in Lebanon is the Marine security detail assigned to protect the American embassy in Beirut.

Floor proceedings ground to a halt temporarily when Rep. Max Miller (R-Ohio) began a sharp personal attack, accusing Tlaib of backing terrorists and suggesting that Hezbollah’s members “are butchers that you like to hang out with.” Tlaib demanded these remarks be struck from the record, which, after a brief standstill, were. 

A Republican Breakaway

Among Republicans, support for the bill was virtually nonexistent. The single “yes” vote from the GOP came from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who has consistently broken party lines when it comes to foreign intervention, oftentimes invoking an “American First” philosophy to avoid unnecessary military entanglements. 

The significant rejection of the Lebanon resolution stood in contrast to a preceding vote, where the House narrowly passed a separate war powers bill that would limit President Trump’s authority to direct military operations against Iran without approval from Congress. 

What’s Next?

Although Tlaib’s preliminary resolution is dead, the legislative battle is not over. Leaders in the Democratic Party have revealed that they are currently narrowing down an alternative war powers resolution that would leave U.S. diplomatic facilities untouched and strategic corporations running, while keeping the Trump administration from entering an unsanctioned conflict. 

For now, the overwhelming bipartisan vote indicates that a majority from both parties continue to support Lebanon and its people against Hezbollah forces.