Several Republicans have said they don’t trust the limited scope of the operation. | AP Photos Boehner supports Obama ISIL plan

House Speaker John Boehner said Congress should give President Barack Obama authority to arm and train rebels in Syria, but criticized the White House’s overarching strategy as not “enough” to eliminate the growing terrorist threat in Iraq and Syria.

“We only have one commander in chief,” Boehner said Thursday in the Capitol. “He laid out his plan. I would never tell the enemy what I was willing to do, or unwilling to do. But he is the commander in chief, he made that decision. At this point in time, it’s important that we give the president what he’s asking for. And we gotta keep our eye on the ball. The issue here is about defeating a terrorist threat that is real and imminent.”


The supportive statement comes after Boehner (R-Ohio) told his Republican colleagues in a Thursday morning meeting that he supports Obama’s move to arm and train the Syrian rebels. But, speaking to reporters, Boehner signaled that the House might, at some point, try to pass a resolution to give the president more authority than just arming the opposition.

“They’re about to get run over,” Boehner said of the Free Syrian Army. “An F-16 is not a strategy. And airstrikes alone will not accomplish what we’re trying to accomplish. The president made clear he doesn’t want U.S. boots on the ground, well somebody’s boots have to be on the ground.”

( Also on POLITICO: The speech Obama didn’t want to give)

But there’s no clear sense of how Republicans will proceed. There is a feeling among top GOP aides that House Republicans want to debate the authority to arm the rebels separate from the must-pass government-funding bill. Obama prefers the two get lumped together.

“A majority realizes that you have to pass it whether it is done separately or in the CR [continuing resolution],” added Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) “That is a tactical decision to make. I could do it either way. Ideally you would vote separately because it sends a stronger message. But if it has to be in the CR, to me, whatever it takes.”

A vote will not come until next week — at the earliest. The House will be in session on Monday, canceling one of its days off.

There was dissent and concern among the Republicans who convened behind the closed doors in the Capitol on Thursday morning. Several GOP lawmakers say they’re worried that U.S. weapons will fall into the wrong hands. Others say they don’t trust the limited scope of American operations. Rep. Mike Rogers of Michigan, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee asked the room, “Can you imagine Roosevelt talking about the five things he won’t do to defeat the Japanese?”

Lawmakers stood up in the meeting, and repeatedly said they want strong congressional oversight over the U.S. weapons and training programs.

“I think generally almost everybody in the room is pretty supportive of giving the president the authorization and appropriations he’s asking for,” said Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), a close Boehner ally. “There are some people with concerns. There’s a lot of conversations about oversight. There’s concerns about the Free Syrian [Army] rebels. But there are no easy choices in Syria.”

Rep. Darrell Issa, the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said placing the language in the CR is “the lightweight tool.”

“Obviously what the president wants is a slug of money and he says he doesn’t need authority so realistically at this point we’re dealing with a president who last night on national television said ‘I don’t need your authority, I just want your money,’” he said after the meeting.

Lauren French contributed to this report.