The House on Thursday voted down a War Powers Resolution introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) that would have directed President Biden to remove all US troops from Somalia within one year, except those guarding the US embassy.
The resolution failed in a vote of 102-321. It received support from 52 Republicans and 50 Democrats.
While the resolution was led by Gaetz and had six Republican co-sponsors, it also received support from progressive Democrats. During the debate on the floor, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) argued in favor of the resolution.
“Members of Progressive Caucus leadership will vote for the Somalia war powers resolution,” a congressional staffer told The Intercept ahead of the vote.
US operations in Somalia have escalated since President Biden ordered the deployment of up to 500 troops to the country last year, although Gaetz said there are 900 US troops there. The US-backed Mogadishu-based government also launched an offensive against al-Shabaab last year, leading to an escalation in fighting on the ground.
While there has been an escalation of the war over the past year, there’s been a recent lull in US airstrikes. The last US strike in Somalia that was reported by US Africa Command took place in February.
“The United States has had a military presence in Somalia since 1992, but it’s been a costly and mostly fruitless endeavor. Somalia is entrenched in violence and political instability that has persisted for decades, and there seems to be no end in sight,” Gaetz said on Thursday.
“America has a responsibility to protect its citizens and defend its interests, but Somalia is not a vital national security concern. Instead of pouring more resources into a never-ending conflict, our country should prioritize its own needs and focus on issues that directly impact our neighbors. It is time to bring our troops home and let Somalia find its own path to stability,” he added.
The bill was the second War Powers Resolution led by Gaetz, who has vowed to continue introducing similar legislation to force debate on US interventions in the Middle East and Africa. He hinted on the floor that the next resolution might cover US operations in Niger.
In March, the House rejected a Syria War Powers Resolution introduced by Gaetz. The vote fell along similar lines, failing 103-321, with 56 Democrats and 47 Republicans voting in favor of the bill. It also received support from progressive Democrats and Republicans aligned with Gaetz.
The leadership of both major parties is beholden to the same evil cabal that brought us 9/11 and all the wars of this century. A “peace” party in the USA would be marginalized by our illustrious MSM just like the anti-nuclear movement was in the 1980s. We will continue on to our eventual demise, bankrupt both financially and morally. The rest of the world hopes this will happen sooner rather than later.
TC: truer words have rarely been spoken. We are on a doomsday path and no one with any smarts sees it being changed
Thomas, very well said and spot on! 🙂
What is new? The Unipary puts on a performance so that it looks like there are actually two parties. What a show.
Yes, all the “Progressives” have voted for all the Ukra-Nazi appropriations and resolutions.
No they did not 50ish votes from each party. Progressive wing voted anti-war, every other democrat pro-war.
Let’s hope they don’t wimp out and reverse themselves… Again!
The anti-war people of both parties are doing decent work, and under a lot of pressure.
We need to bolster their numbers so the pro-war side can no longer bully us into silence.
Sure they can. The progressives wrote a timid letter urging Biden to at least consider diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine. The ink was still wet when they announced it was a mistake and blamed it on staff.
At every point when they had an opportunity to defy the Zionist lobby they folded and threw Palestine under the bus.
I’m hoping RFK jr. Shows some intestinal fortitude and cross the threshold to make for a common cause with the Right but I’ve been stood up at the alter too many times to hold out much hope.
Peace
Then get ready for the big show coming next year! It happens every 4 years. I can’t wait!
Are we going to have anything to choose from, other than the normal systematic drones?…
It’s a good start, he got it an actual vote plus he had Democratic support.
The subsequent votes may pick up a few more votes but more significantly he and Omar may be able to use these votes to get more like-minded to primary the old neocon goats and get in office.
Creating primary challenges for the old and young neocons will not be a success. The war mongering Corporation will gladly donate all the money the neocons need to continue their dirty play.l The entire system needs changing and overturning. Not a chance in hell of this happening.
Maybe not immediately but if you keep battering away at the gates of power it’ll yield.
The primaries are where the voting battles start. Progressives need to vote for anti-war Trump supporters, and Trump supporters need to vote for anti-war progressives.
It’s the only way to get big enough numbers to have a chance.
Kennedy has already gained 5 points on Biden whose poll ratings have dropped once again into the 30’s.
Biden’s war in Ukraine, despite reporting the usual suspects in the media keep saying, is about to collapse and peace arranged by China and their endless money will further drive those numbers down which will temp someone like Newsome in to the race because Kennedy’s numbers show a mainstream challenge could work on a senile President who is polling in the 30’s and has someone outside that mainstream showing a growing support.
That tepid support of Joe opens up even the Democrat side of things to anti-war populists to run just as those types already see an opening in the GOP.
Antiwar candidates should pick-up seats in the Democrat party unless it has gone completely corporate because they see the growing GOP distrust of global corporatism as kooky so it’s obviously something they want to love nowadays.
The democratic party has already been spending millions of dollars to defeat anti-war members in primary races, and crowing about their victories.
It will be more difficult for many squad members to get through the primaries than it will be to win the general election.
Gaetz seems to have succeeded in exposing our pro-endless war corrupt Congress. Congress not doing their job doesn’t seem like a solid complaint. It seems Congress is as into Presidents initiating wars as our warmongering Presidents, if not more. Not sure I wanted to see that. I would prefer to have kept some doubt about how murderous, blood thirsty, and corrupt are the people we’re electing. I wish I was an ostrich that can bury its head in sand. That bird got skills! (Sarcasm alert)
After the Nukes fly there will be a lot of sand but not many people.
For those USA politicians that may survive I wonder how they will be greeted by any citizen survivors??
With hugs. The only survivors will be just like them. Elites.
Surely if there are some “Elites” survivors there will surely be some “common folk” that also make it, how do U think they will then interact with those politicians and “Elites”? Should they defer to them, honor them for doing such a great job, for keeping the “commoners” safe? Is there a price to be paid, Mussolini comes to mind……hmmmm….I wonder.
The “elites” will be underground in hardened bunkers with supplies that will last them for years. The “common folk” will be putting plastic and duct tape on their windows as their skin melts off their bones.
Ah, nice vivid description wars, thank you. I almost upchucked my coffee… 😉
Are you forgetting about potential MUTANTS?! Elites may not taste good but they must have some nutritional value?… BLAH, hack, hack….
Keep trying, Matt.
Persistence pays!
Hi, I’m Joe Biden, and I love funding endless wars, sewing chaos, despair and enriching my own interests as the poor people suffer. Vote Biden 24, Vote War.
Syria, 103-321
Somalia, 102-321
Pathetic. And this with a democrat in the white house and a republican majority. At least the democrats pretended to be ant-war when Trump was in office. He had to veto the Yemen war powers resolution.
Well the squad voted anti-war. Not one other democrat did.
Time for the squad to leave the democratic party.
(included progressive caucus as part of the squad)
The rest of the democratic party is center right pro-corporations pro-war.
I agree with Gaetz on this although I disagree with him on a lot of other things. It would take a miracle to end all our wars, military spending, bases abroad, NATO, the proxy war in Ukraine, sanctions against other nations, the Cold War with Russia & China & our coups in Developing Nations.
Why doesn’t Congress get it over with and authorize US troops in every country for as long as the neocons – er – POTUS wants?
Madness.
🤦♂️
There has never been a more bewildering, less predictable political landscape in US history than that of the present.
Readers: apply that statement narrowly, broadly and anywhere in between.
The House of Representatives should be called “The House of Misrepresentatives”.
Clearly the members of the ”house” are aware that voting against the wishes of the MIC will have a negative impact on their re-election campaign stockings.
These weasels need to be removed from their positions faster then anyone can say retribution.
A well oiled act of grandstanding. Reflecting popular sentiment, getting attention. Raising hopes. Bith parties need such actors to give voters the inpession this is for real. Of course it is not. Did not we have enough if Syrian, Yemen resolutions? We need to wake up. Each party is a corporation. And corporations manage their image through narratives. Little conmmercials of corporate civic conscience, Please.