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Tlaib’s War Powers Defeated
The House voted down Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s second war powers resolution on Lebanon on Tuesday, ending with 189 voting in favor and 235 voting in opposition.
The updated measure would have directed the president to remove U.S. armed forces "from any hostilities in Lebanon" within seven days of adoption, while stating that "Nothing in this concurrent resolution may be construed to prevent or limit security cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces or the protection of diplomatic facilities."
CBS News reported that the House vote came after Democratic leaders backed the revised version, and it noted that the earlier version had been rejected in early June.
In the debate, Tlaib said the vote was about "immediately ending all U.S. participation in the Israeli government's violent assault against the people of Lebanon."
The Hill described the same outcome as the House rejecting the resolution, with the lower chamber voting 189-235 to oppose directing President Trump to remove troops from hostilities in Lebanon.
Democrats Split, GOP Pushback
The Intercept reported that the resolution failed 235–189, with near-universal opposition from Republicans, while 187 Democrats voted in favor and only 22 voted against.
Tlaib framed the measure as cutting off U.S. support for Israeli forces, saying, "The United States is not a bystander to these war crimes," and adding, "It is an active participant."
CBS News said House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar argued in a statement earlier this month that "Currently, there are no U.S. service members involved in combat operations or hostilities in Lebanon."
Republicans attacked the resolution as enabling violence, with Fox News quoting House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast saying, "a win for terrorists."
In the same CBS News account, Mast said the resolution was "not quite as ridiculous this time as it was the last time … but still significantly ridiculous," while Gregory Meeks argued the updated version would ensure the U.S. stayed out of "another forever war that is not in our national interest."
Peace Framework and Next Votes
The Hill said the vote came as the Trump administration, Israel and Lebanon agreed to a framework last week that would kick out Iran’s influence in Lebanon through its support of Hezbollah and pave the way for an Israeli withdrawal from territory held in the south.
The Hill also quoted a statement from the three parties that said, "For Lebanon, this Framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis," and that "For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border."
CBS News reported that an agreement signed last week between the Israeli and Lebanese governments to end the fighting in southern Lebanon links Israel's removal of forces with Hezbollah's disarmament, while Hezbollah has refused to give up its weapons.
CBS News further described how Tlaib accused the Israeli government of carrying out an "ethnic cleansing and territory expansion" through its bombing campaign in southern Lebanon.
In parallel, Common Dreams said 22 Democrats joined almost every Republican to vote down the war powers resolution, and it quoted Tlaib on the House floor: "The United States is not a bystander to these war crimes. It's an active participant."
