House panel acts to limit Iraq troop deployment (Reuters)

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

House panel acts to limit Iraq troop deployment
Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:32PM EDT

By Susan Cornwell

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Keeping pressure on President George
W. Bush to wind down the Iraq war, a House of Representatives
panel approved bills on Friday to require the Pentagon to send
lawmakers a withdrawal plan and give troops more leave between
deployments.

The measures could come to the House floor next week as part of a
steady stream of war votes directed by Democratic leaders in hopes
of getting more Republicans to abandon Bush's war strategy -- and
embarrassing those who do not.

Next week the House is also expected to take up a defense spending
bill for the fiscal year starting October 1, and that legislation is
attracting anti-war amendments as well. Rep. John Murtha, Democrat
of Pennsylvania, said this week he planned an amendment that troop
withdrawals start within 60 days of enactment.

Republicans and supporters of the 4-1/2-year-old Iraq war call the
drumbeat of Iraq votes a waste of time, coming weeks before
lawmakers get an update on the war in September from U.S. Iraq
commander Gen. David Petraeus.

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2734177620070727