Updated 5:12 p.m. | Scores of skeptical lawmakers attended a classified briefing on Syria at the Capitol on Sunday, but not a single member seemed to think a resolution authorizing force against the war-torn nation could pass at the present time. Indeed, the challenge for House and Senate leaders — who appear to largely be supportive of a U.S. strike in retaliation for the Syrian regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons — will be in changing the minds of members who said they still fail to see what President Barack Obama’s ultimate goal is. A House GOP aide suggested that if anything passes, it will be because House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is able to convince enough Democrats to vote for it. Democratic Caucus Chairman Xavier Becerra of California, however, said he would not be "counting votes" and demurred when asked whether he thought it was an accurate assessment that Democrats would need to deliver the votes to pass the resolution. "What matters to me is to be able to vote my conscience … on something as serious as authorizing the use of military force," Becerra told reporters following the briefing's conclusion. "Quite honestly I’m not going to look to count votes one way or another. If the majority of members of congress of the House and the Senate decide 'no,' that’s the will of the two bodies. If they decide 'yes,' that's the will of the two bodies." If neither side whips, the vote could be a failure for Obama, given the reaction most members who attended the briefing had. For example, former House Foreign Affairs Chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., said if the vote were held today, Congress would vote it down. (more…)
