(MSNBC) The House of Representatives voted on Wednesday afternoon to greenlight President Obama's controversial proposal to arm and train moderate Syrian rebels in effort to defeat the terrorist group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
Lawmakers approved the amendment by a 273-156 vote after six hours of debate. The amendment, which includes no new money to pay for the operation, was then incorporated into a larger spending bill that will fund the U.S. government through Dec. 11 and avoid a partial government shutdown.
That vote on the entire Continuing Resolution passed 319-108 and will now move to the Senate. Majority Leader Harry Reid announced Wednesday evening that the Senate would vote on the legislation Thursday. The Senate will begin debate on the bill at 1 p.m. and a vote would begin later in the evening. Reid has said he expects the bill to pass in the upper chamber of Congress.
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