Rothfus Statement on the Vote to Train and Equip Syrian Rebels

Statement

Congressman Keith Rothfus [PA-12] released the following statement about the debate and votes today in the House:

"The Islamic State terrorist organization is a grave threat to our friends and allies in the Middle East and our homeland," said Rothfus. "I support confronting this threat through continued airstrikes and assistance for Kurdish and Iraqi forces.

"However, I do not support training and arming rebels in Syria about whom we do not have enough reliable information. After hours of briefings and discussions with my colleagues, I am not confident of the effectiveness of this proposal or the long-term implications of providing training and weapons to the rebels in Syria.

"This measure deserved consideration in a completely separate piece of legislation. I was prepared to vote for the underlying Continuing Resolution. Unfortunately, once the amendment was included in the underlying bill I could not vote to support it. Simply put, short-term funding bills should not be used as a vehicle to expand the authority of the President to conduct military operations. This establishes a troubling precedent."

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