However, the vote had a surprising level of support from members of the opposite end of the political spectrum, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and other far-left members of Congress.
The measure failed by a vote of 103-321, with 56 Democrats voting in favor of it, compared to only 47 Republicans. The resolution would have directed President Biden to withdraw the roughly 900 U.S. service members in Syria, where they are conducting counterterrorism operations.
March 10, 2023
Despite the vote, Gaetz remains convinced that the US has no business in Syria. "There is no role for the United States of America in Syria," he said in a statement. "We have tried to build a democracy out of sand, blood, and Arab militias. Time and again, the work we do does not reduce chaos. Oftentimes, it causes chaos – the very chaos that then subsequently leads to terrorism."
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The first U.S. ground troops entered Syria in 2015, tasked with recruiting, organizing, and advising Syrian Kurdish and Arab fighters, as well as rooting out members of the Islamic State terror group. Although ISIS lost its last stronghold in Syria in 2019, the Pentagon warns that sleeper cells continue to carry out deadly attacks in Syria and Iraq.
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Gaetz argued that there are 1,500 different groups in Syria and that today's friend could be tomorrow's ISIS. He questioned the meaning of the "enduring defeat of ISIS" and asked whether the U.S. needs to keep 900 Americans in Syria until the last person who holds some sympathy for ISIS is gone.
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On the other hand, Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, defended the U.S. troops in Syria, stating that 466 ISIS militants were killed last year in operations with partners and 250 others were detained. McCaul argued that if U.S. troops were to withdraw now, there could be a resurgence of ISIS or another legal successor in a short time.
The U.S. government has granted the use of military force in Syria based on the Authorization for Use of Military Force, which was approved after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
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