House Dems help GOP kill another Lebanon war powers vote

Several dozen House Democrats voted with Republicans on Tuesday to quash a second attempt to restrict the U.S. from assisting Israeli military operations in Lebanon.

Why it matters: That's a significantly smaller group than voted against the measure earlier this month, with Democratic leadership supporting it this time.

• The measure, introduced by Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), would direct the Trump administration to remove U.S. troops from Lebanon within a week of it passing.
• But it also includes language making clear that U.S. troops supporting the Lebanese military in fighting Hezbollah and protecting diplomatic facilities in the region would not be affected.

Driving the news: The resolution failed in a 189 to 235 vote, with 22 Democrats siding with the GOP in voting against it.

• That is way down from the 117 Democrats who voted against an earlier resolution, which did not have explicit protection for U.S. troops fighting Hezbollah and protecting embassies and consulates.
• The new version of the measure was worked out between Tlaib and Democratic leadership as a compromise after the original failed.

Yes, but: Democratic centrists who voted against the measure largely argued it was an answer to a non-existent problem, noting that the U.S. has not been involved in Israel's operations in Southern Lebanon.

• "To the best of my knowledge, we're not engaged in a conflict with Lebanon," said Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), a staunchly pro-Israel moderate who opposed the measure.
• The vote also comes just days after Israel and Lebanon signed a framework agreement to end hostilities.

Zoom out: The left unseated several pro-Israel House Democrats in New York last week, which has many establishment Democrats on edge about their own electoral safety.

• House Democrats have been grappling with a vote on restricting U.S. aid to Israel, with many lawmakers feeling politically compelled to vote for it despite their substantive opposition to the measure.