House Votes To Cut Off Funding For Military In Libya-- And Also Votes To Continue Funding For Military In Libya

A meeting of the minds? Not really

Assigning motivation on non-party line votes can be pretty tricky. Thursday's failed House vote on Justin Amash's amendment (cosponsored by Dennis Kucinich) to H.R. 2219, the Defense Department Appropriations Act was exceedingly skewered... in every direction. And just 7 minutes before the amendment to cut off funds for the U.S. military to continue its role in Libya failed-- in a 199-229 roll call-- an amendment by Oklahoma Republican Tom Cole to bar the Pentagon from providing "military equipment, training or advice or other support for military activities" to Libyan rebel forces passed 225-201. 48 Democrats voted for Cole's amendment against the Obama administration. 67 Democrats voted for the Amash-Kucinich amendment, which was opposed by the administration.

There aren't any generalizations about motivation I can figure out about who voted which way for what reason on either vote. Reactionary warmongers and dedicated progressive anti-war Members were on both sides of both votes. Among progressives voting against Cole-- so in favor of continuing aid to the rebels-- were Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Barney Frank (D-MA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Keith Ellison (D-MN) Karen Bass (D-CA), and Donna Edwards (D-MD), while equally trustworthy progressives voted with Cole to cut off funds-- like Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Mike Honda (D-CA), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) and Jose Serrano (D-NY). On the other side of the political spectrum, you had right-wing fanatics like Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Mean Jean Schmidt (R-OH), Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), Paul Broun (R-GA), Tom McClintock (R-CA), Louie Gohmert (R-TX), and Virginia Foxx (R-NC) voting to cut off funds, while equally extreme right freaks like Eric Cantor (R-VA), Paul Ryan (R-WI), Quayle's kid (R-AZ), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Pence (R-IN), Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and Trent Franks (R-AZ) voted against cutting off funds. And Blue Dogs were also on both sides of the argument. Dan Boren (Blue Dog-OK), Heath Shuler (Blue Dog-NC), Mike Thompson (Blue Dog-CA) and John Barrow (Blue Dog-GA) finally found something they could support Obama on (more war) while fellow rightist Democrats Jim Cooper (Blue Dog-TN), Kurt Schrader (Blue Dog-OR) and Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN) incongruously voted to end funding. Crazy...

And the next vote, on Amash's amendment, was just as all over the map. Solid progressives voting to end funding included Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jesse Jackson, Jr, (D-IL), Chellie Pingree (D-ME) Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Maxine Waters (D-CA), John Lewis (D-GA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), and Donna Edwards (D-MD), while just as solid progressives like Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Pete Stark (D-CA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Keith Ellison (D-MN), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), and Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) voted against cutting off funding. Republicans were just as mixed and matched-- with fringe loons like Sandy Adams (R-FL), Bachmann, Mean Jean, Tim Griffin (R-AR), Allen West (R-FL) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC) voting to cut off funding while radical right sociopaths like Darrell Issa (R-CA), Eric Cantor (R-VA), Mike Pence (R-IN), David Rivera (R-FL), John Kline (R-MN) Steve King (R-IA) and Dan Lungren (R-CA) voted against cutting off funds.

So how do you rate these votes when you're trying to figure out who's for peace and who's a war-monger? The AP had as hard a time figuring it out as we did.

The House is sending mixed signals on President Barack Obama's military action against Libya, voting to prohibit weapons and training to rebels looking to oust Moammar Gadhafi but stopping short of trying to cut off money for American participation in the NATO-led mission.

In a series of votes Thursday, Republicans and Democrats expressed their dissatisfaction with the Libya operation, now in its fourth month with no end in sight and waning support from some nations in the international coalition. The House voted to bar military aid to the rebels but moments later rejected efforts to prevent funding for the limited U.S. mission.

The votes mirrored the contradictory actions of the House last month, when lawmakers refused to approve the operation but declined to cut off the money.

The latest House votes came on amendments to a $649 billion defense spending bill that lawmakers hoped to finish on Friday. The overall measure covering weapons and warships, jet fighters and bombers, personnel and military pay is $9 billion less than Obama requested but $17 billion more than current levels.

It covers the Pentagon budget beginning Oct. 1 but must be reconciled with a still-to-be-completed Senate version.

The congressional unrest over Libya stems from a stalemated civil war and Obama's contention that he didn't need congressional authorization to engage in another war on top of Afghanistan and Iraq because Libya fighting isn't full-blown hostilities. Among war-weary NATO allies, Italy announced that it was reducing its participation in the campaign by removing an aircraft carrier from the region and pulling thousands of troops home.

"Libya did not attack us. Libya did not attack NATO," Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said. "However much we detest Mr. Gadhafi and his regime, we have no reason to be at war."

The House voted 225-201 for an amendment sponsored by Cole to bar the Pentagon from providing "military equipment, training or advice or other support for military activities" to an outside group, such as rebel forces, for military action in or against Libya.

Forty-eight Democrats backed the Republican-sponsored measure.

The intent of the measure was to prohibit aid to the rebels such as weapons and assistance to their Transitional National Council, including operational planning. The broad effort also would target contractors in Libya.

Obama already has authorized $25 million in nonlethal assistance to the rebels, including thousands of meals ready to eat rations from Pentagon stocks. The U.S. also has supplied some $53 million in humanitarian aid. Neither would be affected by the bill.

Moments after that vote Thursday, the House rejected a measure that would have prohibited funds for the U.S. military to continue its limited role. The vote was 229-199, with 67 Democrats breaking with the administration to support the amendment.

"This is our moment to reclaim the Constitution of the United States," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who co-sponsored the amendment with freshman Rep. Justin Amash, R-Mich. "We have the power to determine when to go to war, not some rebel power in Benghazi."

Lawmakers argue that Obama violated the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires a president to seek congressional approval within 60 days of the first military strikes, a move the commander in chief did not make.

In a reflection of congressional anger toward the administration, the House voted overwhelmingly for an amendment that prohibits spending that violates the War Powers Resolution and focuses on future military operations.

The House also rejected two other efforts to prohibit funds for the U.S. military operation in Libya.

Sen. John McCain, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, criticized the House vote on aid to the rebels, arguing that it sends the wrong message to Gadhafi and those challenging the long-time leader.

"I am saddened by the abandonment of America's traditional support for those struggling for freedom and democracy, which has been a hallmark of our Republican Party for decades," said the Arizona Republican, who traveled to Benghazi in April to meet with the rebels.

At least McCain was consistent. He's always in favor of war-- any war, anywhere for any reason at all.