Senate

McConnell says he wants ‘something stronger’ than House Syria resolution

by Jordain Carney - 10/17/19 10:41 AM ET

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Thursday that he was “encouraged” by a House resolution formally opposing President Trump’s troop drawback but that he wants “something stronger.”

“I believe it’s important that we make a strong forward-looking strategic statement. For that reason my preference would be for something even stronger than the resolution that the House passed yesterday, which has some serious weaknesses,” McConnell said from the Senate floor.{mosads}

The House passed its resolution formally opposing Trump’s troop drawback in northern Syria and urging Turkey to end its military incursion in a 354-60 vote.

But McConnell argued that the House resolution was too “narrowly drafted,” didn’t address Sunni Arab or Christian communities in Syria and was too “backward-looking.”

“It is curiously silent on the issue of whether to actually sustain a U.S. military presence in Syria, perhaps to spare Democrats from having to go on record on this question. So my first preference is for something stronger than the House resolution,” he added.

McConnell’s comments come as lawmakers are weighing how to respond to Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria, paving the way for Turkey’s military incursion.

Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) are expected to offer a sanctions bill later Thursday that will target Turkey’s energy sector and military. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.) are also offering a companion resolution to the measure that already passed the House.

McConnell has not yet said what, if any, legislation he will bring to the floor amid fierce bipartisan backlash to Trump’s strategy. McConnell, during a leadership press conference on Wednesday, called Trump’s decision a “mistake.”

He predicted on Thursday that “many of us will have much more to say on the subject very soon.”

“I look forward to continuing to engage with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle as we chart the right course,” he added.

Tags Bob Menendez Chris Van Hollen Donald Trump Lindsey Graham Mitch McConnell Todd Young