Some Lawmakers Still Unswayed by Case for Syria Strike
A fierce lobbying effort by the White House and the support of congressional leaders for a resolution authorizing the use of force against Syria has done little to sway some lawmakers more concerned about the overwhelming opposition of their constituents.
The White House said officials, including President Obama, have had discussions with 185 lawmakers through Thursday, consultations that continued with another bipartisan, closed-door briefing at the Capitol.
But lawmakers who were inclined to vote against authorizing force to punish Syria for its alleged use of chemical weapons emerged from the briefing unswayed. Asked what she needed to hear to vote “yes,” Rep. Carol Shea-Porter said, “I haven’t heard it.”
“I think that there’s a long way to go for the president to make the case, and it does seem as if there’s a high degree of concern and leaning no,” the New Hampshire Democrat added.
With the first procedural vote on the joint resolution likely to come as early as Wednesday in the Senate, the White House announced that Obama would cancel a Monday trip to Los Angeles to speak at an AFL-CIO convention and attend a Democratic Party fundraiser so he could remain in Washington to work with lawmakers.
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