July 11, 2007

White House Warms Up The Veto Pen

As debate over Iraq swept the Senate yesterday, the administration spoke up in two forms: President Bush's remarks to an Ohio audience and an official threat about the use of the presidential veto.

The White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy [PDF] warning the Senate that withdrawing troops "could embolden our enemies and confirm their belief that America will not stand behind its commitments."

Besides the veto threat over any language requiring a U.S. troop pullout from Iraq, the White House threatened a veto if the bill includes any amendments restricting the president's ability to deal with neighboring Iran. In addition, any language restoring habeas corpus rights to suspected terrorists held at the military's detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, would draw a veto, according to the SAP.

Other veto threats were made in opposition to provisions now in the Senate Armed Services Committee's version of the bill that changes the Military Commissions Act. Provisions requiring the administration to provide intelligence information requested by the Armed Services committees within 15 days of a request also risk killing the bill, the White House said.

And the House got in on the debate, too. House Democratic leaders announced abruptly late last night that they will bring stand-alone legislation up for a vote later this week mandating redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq 120 days after enactment with an April 1, 2008, deadline for completion.

Bush would be required to report to Congress on reasons for any troops remaining in the country for limited purposes such as to train Iraqi forces.

"The situation on the ground in Iraq is worsening, and the Iraqi government has failed to meet the benchmarks set in law," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in a statement.

Leadership aides said that while similar in language, the bill is not identical to the Levin-Reed amendment in the Senate. On Monday, aides had forecast taking up the bill, which will be sponsored by House Armed Services Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., next week at the earliest.

With a vote now planned for tomorrow or Friday at the latest, final language was to be sent to Democratic members last night with Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., expected to begin vote-counting efforts. But Democratic leadership sources were confident there is already enough support to ensure approval because of the bill's similarity to a provision in the first House version of the Iraq war-funding supplemental approved in March.

House Republican leaders were surprised by the move, which a spokesman for Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, derided as proof of Democrats' intent to withdraw troops from Iraq regardless of the consequences.

-CongressDaily staff

Posted at 11:50 AM
Posted to: Bush Administration, Congress, House, Iraq, Middle East, President Bush, Senate
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