Rep. Bruce Braley, D-Iowa, seems to be very concerned about the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria now that the election is drawing to a close, but it wasn’t always that way.
During the Sept. 28 debate between Braley and his opponent for U.S. Senate, Republican Joni Ernst, the incumbent congressman said he voted “to give the president limited authority to begin strikes against terrorists in Iraq and Syria.” He emphasized the threat of the Islamic State and added that “any time American citizens are attacked by a terrorist group, they need to be brought to justice or to the grave.”
Braley did not, however, vote for strikes against the Islamic State, as Politifact noted at the time. He actually voted to provide “training, equipment, supplies and sustainment” to Syrian opposition forces.
And as for Braley’s harsh stance on the threat of the Islamic State? Turns out that’s a recent development as well.
Ernst — Braley’s opponent — knocked him for his sudden change of opinion at a campaign stop in Cherokee, Iowa, on Friday, saying Braley was being “wishy-washy” on the issue.
“Just earlier in June as Mosul fell — which is the second-largest city in Iraq — just days after that happened, he voted for no combat action, no funding for combat action, in Iraq, and yet today now he’s saying, ‘I support the president and airstrikes,’ ” Ernst told the crowd. “Airstrikes are combat actions, yet he voted not to fund those things.”
On June 19, Braley voted for an amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations bill that would “prohibit the use of funds to be used for the purposes of conducting combat operations in Iraq.”
Ernst wasn’t done pointing out Braley’s sudden change.
“He’s also saying, he just called a couple days ago to bring Congress back into session to talk about this terrible threat of ISIS,” Ernst said. “Where has he been for the past few months? We have known that ISIS was a threat for years now, and yet he’s very reactive. We’re not sure where he’s going with foreign policy.”
Indeed, where has Braley been on Iraq?
In May 2007, Braley voted against final passage of a bill that would fund the troops in Iraq.
That was so long ago, you may be saying, before the Islamic State was making national news. But the group has been known by many names and has been around in some capacity since 2004.
Also, in 2012, Braley voted against the Defense appropriations bill that funded the troops in Afghanistan and would give them a pay raise.
Bottom line: Braley’s stance on the Islamic State is quite new — perhaps an election-year conversion, even.
Ernst currently leads Braley by two points in what promises to be a very close race.
