The fall of Bashar Assad’s government in Syria could complicate Congress’ dash toward an end-of-year break and a Dec. 20 government funding deadline.
While the House is expected to vote this week on the must-pass defense policy bill, lawmakers are not expected to begin floor votes on an emerging stopgap spending and disaster relief measure until next week, leaving them plenty of time to weigh in on other hot-button issues.
The stunning scenes over the weekend of Syrians celebrating rebel forces’ ouster of the Assad government were hailed by President Joe Biden and others as a win for democracy. But it raises a slew of questions about the Israel-Hezbollah war and whether a post-Assad power vacuum could escalate the Middle East conflict.
