Sen. Manchin says he'd rather shutdown government than vote for Boehner bill written at Obama's request tying Syria arms funding to keeping gov. running. A standalone Syria bill would receive too much attention-CNN

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9/15/14, "Don’t Hide the Syrian Aid Vote," NY Times Editorial Board

"House leaders — at the urging of the White House — are using that bill (CR) as the vehicle for a major foreign policy decision: arming and training Syrian rebels to fight against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, the extremist Sunni group known as ISIS....By including the assistance to the rebels as an amendment to the spending bill, as Republicans are planning to do, lawmakers will have to choose between paying for the rebels and shutting down the government."
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9/16/14, "Sen. Manchin: Willing to shut down government over Syria war vote," CNN, by 

"As the pounding of war drums intensifies against ISIS and its advances in Iraq and Syria, at least one senator is voicing opposition to plans to arm Syrian rebels and says he's willing to shut down the government over it.

Sen. Joe Manchin, a West Virginia Democrat who often finds himself at odds with the White House, said spending $500 million to provide weapons to groups in Syria that are fighting both ISIS and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will backfire.

"At the end of the day, most of the arms that we give to people are used against us. Most of the people we train turn against us," Manchin said Tuesday on CNN's "New Day."

While lawmakers are expected to put off until after the November election a vote on direct U.S. military action in Syria, votes on arming Syrian rebels could come this week as part of a larger funding bill. The House is slated to vote Wednesday, and the Senate soon after, on a measure that ties funding for the entire government to a measure authorizing the administration to arm Syrian opposition groups. Government funding runs out at the end of September and if new legislation isn't passed, many government services will come to a halt.

Manchin, who is opposed to arming the rebels, called tying the two issues together an "atrocious" package.

"I'm willing to vote. I will vote no -- absolutely no -- and stand tall in West Virginia to explain my vote," he said.

Manchin said his critics might say he voted to shut down the government. His response: "But guess what's wrapped into it, a policy that might get us embroiled (in war) for years and years."

Manchin is not up for re-election this year. But at least one senator running for re-election has indicated opposition to arming the rebels. Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska, who is in a tight race against Republican Dan Sullivan, said in a statement last week that he opposes the plan "at this time."

"I am gravely concerned by reports of ISIS seizing and utilizing U.S. weapons intended for those fighting against the Syrian regime, and we must have greater assurance that we aren't arming extremists who will eventually use the weapons against us," Begich added.

Manchin also responded to lawmakers, including Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who are suggesting that the U.S. approach to ISIS go even further than what President Barack Obama has proposed and include U.S. involvement in a ground war.

"In West Virginia, at least we know the definition of insanity -- doing the same thing over and over, expecting different results," he said. "This has to be a ground game by the people of that region."" via Lucianne

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More from NY Times Editorial Board on Boehner and Obama forcing lawmakers to either fund Syria or shut down government:

 9/15/14, "Don’t Hide the Syrian Aid Vote," NY Times Editorial Board

"Voters need to know whether all of their representatives supported the aid on principle or out of necessity. 

The vote on the Syrian aid should be entirely separate from the spending bill.

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On its merits, the rebel-aid amendment drawn up by House Republicans is actually worthy of support, because it would demand answers on which forces in Syria would be getting equipment and training. Under the provision, the secretary of defense would have to submit a detailed plan disclosing the moderate groups that would get the aid 15 days ahead of time, and the plan would have to be updated every 90 days. The background and past links to terror groups of every individual in the groups would have to be checked. 
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The authorization would expire on Dec. 11, when the rest of the spending resolution does, and would face a renewal vote in the lame-duck session of Congress after the election.
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It would also include a provision making it clear that the spending bill does not authorize a prolonged war in Iraq and Syria, an issue that probably will also be debated in the lame-duck session. Far too many Democrats and Republicans are afraid of casting a clear vote on this issue before the elections, preferring to hide behind the shield of a spending bill.

The polarization of Congress has made it impossible to do long-term planning or budgeting, so that even basic operations of government are financed through stopgap measures. 

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Beginning a war requires a much larger vision."

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