July 12, 2007
House Votes To Withdraw Troops By April
The House approved a bill this evening that orders President Bush to draw down most troops in Iraq by April of next year. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the 223-201 tally to cheers in the gallery.
The bill calls for Bush to begin pulling out troops within 120 days. Just four Republicans sided with Democrats on the bill; 10 Democrats defected from their party and joined the Republicans.
The Senate is also considering similar legislation, but Democratic leaders there are proceeding cautiously. They have put off a vote on the Senate version, dubbed the Levin-Reed amendment for its co-sponsors, until next week. That decision buys them more time to drum up the GOP support they will need to survive a cloture vote.
So far, just a handful of Republicans have joined the Democrats trying to force a withdrawal. Democrats are trying to convince Republicans who have called for a pullout -- like Pete Domenici and Richard Lugar -- that a congressional mandate is the only way to end the war in 2008. While critical of the war, those Republicans have been hesitant to force Bush's hand or defy the advice of military commanders on the ground.
But aiding Democrats' cause today were a preliminary assessment of the new counterinsurgency operation's progress and Bush himself. The report painted a mostly negative picture of political and security improvements in Iraq, and in a press conference today, Bush reaffirmed that he would not even consider a change in direction until he gets a final report from Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, due Sept. 15.
For more on that press conference and the interim report, look here.
Posted at 6:35 PM
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Bush Administration, Congress, David Petraeus, House, Iraq, Middle East, Military, President Bush, Senate
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