Democrats to renew pressure to withdraw troops from Iraq

[bigtree]

June 29, 2007

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would seek a vote on legislation instructing the Pentagon to begin pulling out U.S. troops within 120 days, similar to a provision Bush vetoed in the first version of a war spending bill Congress sent to him in May.

A comparable provision also is expected to come to the floor of the Senate in July. So far this year, Senate Democrats have been unable to get the 60 votes needed to overcome procedural hurdles to proposals to start a pullout from Iraq.

"I don't know if we can or not," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said of clearing the 60-vote hurdle. "We're going to keep pushing, because it's the right thing to do."


At a news conference with Reid, Pelosi said: "The Republicans have the 60-vote barrier. The president has the (veto) pen. But we have the support of the American people, who want this war to come to an end."

"I feel that I -- and just not as a senator, but as a person -- have a moral obligation to do what I can to stop the death and suffering. And I think by pushing a withdrawal date, it does just that," Reid said.

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, a Michigan Democrat, is expected to introduce a troop withdrawal amendment to defense policy legislation the second week of July.

Other options for amendments on the Senate legislation, which are still being reviewed, could include rewriting Congress' 2002 war authorization, setting readiness standards for military units and cutting off all combat funds by April.

article: http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/06/29/iraq.usa.reut/index.html

[pinto]

1. I like the idea of all of these actions, particularly Congress rewriting the 2002

authorization bill.

(Public Law 107-243, 107th Congress)

[bigtree]

2. that's a Bill Richardson priority as well

he says it could set up the opportunity for court action if ignored.

[CTM1978]

3. So your saying they might ACTUALLY do what they were voted in to do?!?

Wow, the wonders will never cease. Maybe it's the fact that Congress' approval rating have been in the fucking shitter since they CAVED IN and they've decided to take their head's out of their collective assholes and DO WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO DO!!!

[jillan]

4. That was actually Biden's bill 2/18/2007

Richardson liked it so much, he decided to talk about it too.
That's okay - Richardson also likes Biden's plan for Iraq.
They are both foreign relations experts, they both know what needs to be done.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/02/18/ftn/main2491151.shtml?source=RSS&attr=HOME_2491151

Just want my candidate to get credit for something else besides taking an test for aids;)