House Approves Expansion of Military Operations Against ISIS

Also Extends Plans to Train 'Moderate' Syrian Rebels for Two Years

In a 300-119 vote, the House has approved the newest annual military spending bill, pumping another $585 billion into the Pentagon for assorted wars, including the newest war against ISIS.

The bill also includes an extension of the authorization for the Pentagon to train and arm “moderate” Syrian rebel factions, which was supposed to expire on December 11. The bill will extend the deadline through 2016.

House Democrats sought to add provisions defining the scope of the ISIS war, but failed to get that out of the committee. The bill includes some funding the the war, but no specific authorizations.

The Senate is expected to bring the vote up next week and it is largely expected to pass, though Senate Republicans are complaining about the many unrelated provisions crammed into the vote.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.