Danger of shutdown recedes as GOP leaders reject immigration debate on spending bill
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times - Tuesday, September 16, 2014
The danger of another government shutdown receded Tuesday as the House voted to take up a stopgap spending bill that bypasses the thorny immigration debate that had threatened to ensnare Congress in another deadline showdown.
Instead of immigration, the big debate now will be on whether to approve President Obama’s request that Capitol Hill authorize him to train and equip Syrian rebels, at a cost of $500 million, to fight back against Islamic State militants.
That request appears likely to pass the House Wednesday and the Senate as early as Thursday, clearing the way for Congress to flee town until after November’s midterm elections.
“The president’s request is to train vetted Free Syrian Army types to fight [the Islamic State] in Syria, and I frankly think the president’s request is a sound one,” House Speaker John A. Boehner said after meeting with fellow Republicans in the morning. “I think there’s a lot more that we need to be doing, but there’s no reason for us not to do what the president asked us to do.”
When Congress returns, some lawmakers have said they want to force a debate on the broader policy in Iraq, which involves U.S. troops serving as advisers to Iraqi forces and conducting airstrikes to stem advances by Islamic State fighters.
But until they return, nearly two months from now, Mr. Obama will have a free hand to conduct the war as he wants.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/...spending-bill/