A House Democrat is calling out President Obama and Congress for a “sneaky” legislative maneuver.
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) said lawmakers dodged a tough vote on whether to give Obama military authorization to expand airstrikes in Iraq and Syria to kill Islamic militants.
{mosads}Before adjourning until mid-November on Friday, a bipartisan majority in the House and Senate approved a bill to pay for part of Obama’s plan.
Sherman, a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said, “You’ve got both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue with some reluctance to see Congress involved except in this sneaky way where you pass a [continuing resolution]. Members of Congress can go back [home] and say, ‘I voted to keep the national parks open — there was this other provision about arming the Syrians — well, the president was doing that anyway so it didn’t matter.'”
Sherman voted in favor of the Syria amendment that was attached to a government funding bill.