A funding bill in senate recently survived a vote to remove the March 2008 deadline. This doesn’t mean President Bush won’t use his right to veto, but at this point he is a very weak figure in the governent who has lost a lot of respect. I suspect a few more senators would hop on board to override his veto just to let the Executive Branch know who has the constitutional obligation to declare and fund war.
The Democratic-controlled Senate narrowly signaled support Tuesday for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by next March.
The vote triggered an instant veto threat from the White House in a deepening dispute between Congress and commander in chief.
Republican attempts to scuttle the nonbinding timeline failed on a vote of 50-48, largely along party lines.
Sens. Gordon Smith of Oregon and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska — called “two brave Republicans” by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid after the vote — joined Democrats in opposing the amendment.
The roll call marked the Senate’s most forceful challenge to date of the administration’s handling of a war that has claimed the lives of more than 3,200 U.S. troops. It came days after the House approved a binding withdrawal deadline of August 31, 2008.
“This is a strong message which amplifies the action of the House and reflects the overwhelming sentiment of the American people,” said Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island. “It’s a message that must be heeded by the president and by the government of Iraq.”
Three months after Democrats took power in Congress, Reid said the moment was at hand to “send a message to President Bush that the time has come to find a new way forward in this intractable war.”
READ MORE
This is My Blog!