Carter needed lots of G.O.P. help to win the House vote on arms for Turkey
It was one of the most momentous votes in this session of Congress, and the outcome was excruciatingly uncertain until the very last minute. Nearly every member—413 out of 435—turned up to cast a vote on President Carter's request to end the 42 month-old U.S. embargo on arms for Turkey. The ban had infuriated the Turks and weakened the southern flank of NATO. Whether or not Carter would succeed in persuading Congress to lift the embargo was seen as a major test for his Administration.
As the House...
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