In a clear rebuke of President Trump’s move to pull out U.S. forces from a key buffer zone between Turkey and Syria, the House on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan sanctions bill against Ankara in response to its military offensive in northern Syria.
The legislation, sponsored by the top Democrat and Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, authorizes sanctions on government officials and financial institutions involved in the Turkish-led invasion.
Texas Rep. Michael McCaul, ranking Republican on the panel, argued the Turkish incursion had bolstered Syrian President Bashar Assad and his ally, Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the expense Syrian Kurds, a key U.S. ally in the fight against Islamic State.
“I am concerned that this incursion will damage U.S. interests in the Middle East and the Syrian people, including the Kurds, our allies,” Mr. McCaul said.
The bill, which was approved by a 403-16 margin, has an unclear path ahead as Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has tempered expectations for quick passage. Last week, the Kentucky Republican cautioned “against developing a reflex to use sanctions as our tool of first, last, and only resort in implementing our foreign policy.”
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