The House of Representatives on Tuesday voted down a Democratic-backed war powers resolution that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. troops from hostilities in Lebanon, with lawmakers from both parties breaking ranks on the measure.
The resolution failed by a vote of 189-235.
Only two Republicans voted in favor of the measure, while 22 Democrats opposed it, illustrating divisions within both parties over U.S. policy in the region.
The resolution was introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., under the War Powers framework. While calling for the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities in Lebanon, the measure also stated that it should not be interpreted as limiting America’s security cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces or the protection of U.S. diplomatic facilities.
The resolution specifically notes that “nothing in this concurrent resolution may be construed to prevent or limit security cooperation with the Lebanese Armed Forces or the protection of diplomatic facilities.”
The House vote comes just days after the Trump administration, Israel and Lebanon announced an agreement on a new framework intended to reduce Iran’s influence in Lebanon through its support of the militant group Hezbollah.
According to a joint statement from the three parties, the agreement is designed to pave the way for an eventual Israeli withdrawal from territory it currently controls in southern Lebanon.
“For Lebanon, this Framework provides a genuine pathway out of a long crisis. For Israel, it creates a verifiable path to removing the persistent threat on its northern border,” the statement said.
Tuesday’s vote marked the second time this month that the House rejected a Lebanon-related war powers resolution sponsored by Tlaib.
Earlier in June, lawmakers defeated a separate version of the proposal after House Democratic leadership and most members of the caucus opposed it.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., was among those who voted against the earlier measure.
That vote also produced an unusual bipartisan split. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., was the only Republican to support the earlier resolution, while Democratic Reps. Betty McCollum of Minnesota and Derek Tran of California voted “present.”
Following the earlier vote, Jeffries argued that the resolution was unnecessary because U.S. troops were not engaged in combat operations in Lebanon.
“Currently there are no U.S. servicemembers involved in combat operations or hostilities in Lebanon,” Jeffries said in a statement.
At the time, Jeffries also maintained that lawmakers would have another opportunity to address the issue through the war powers resolution that ultimately came before the House on Tuesday.
That resolution, however, also failed to gain enough support for passage.
The latest vote reflects continued disagreement in Congress over how lawmakers should exercise their constitutional authority regarding the use of military force abroad.
While Tlaib’s proposal sought to require the withdrawal of U.S. forces from hostilities in Lebanon, the measure included language preserving military cooperation with Lebanon’s armed forces and allowing continued protection of American diplomatic facilities.
The debate also unfolded against the backdrop of the newly announced framework involving the Trump administration, Israel and Lebanon, which aims to reduce Hezbollah’s influence in the country by addressing Iran’s support for the militant organization.
According to the joint statement, the framework is intended to provide Lebanon with what the parties described as a path out of a prolonged crisis while offering Israel a verifiable means of addressing security concerns along its northern border before withdrawing from territory in southern Lebanon.
Despite those developments, the House declined to approve Tlaib’s resolution, with the measure falling well short of the votes needed for adoption after attracting only limited bipartisan support.
