Senate to Take Another Stab at Iraq War

WASHINGTON - After weeks of watching their counterparts in the House make headway on anti-war legislation, Senate Democrats say it is their turn to put their members on record on whether President Bush should pull U.S. combat troops out of Iraq.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid scheduled a test vote Wednesday on the war, one that may succeed in allowing debate to begin. Debate has been stalled since January because of a disagreement between the two parties on how many and what types of amendments should be allowed.

The vote would be the third time this year that Democrats have tried to start the Senate's first formal debate on the war since the party took control of the chamber in January.

"Agreeing to a debate is not enough," said Reid, D-Nev. "Republicans must heed the voices of their constituents and the overwhelming majority of Americans and vote to change the president's flawed Iraq policy."

Reid is pushing a resolution that would set a target date of March 31, 2008, for the withdrawal of combat troops. The measure says U.S. forces could stay beyond that date only to protect U.S. personnel, train and equip Iraqi forces and carry out counterterrorism operations.

The Senate measure is weaker than legislation being considered by House Democrats that would demand troops leave before September 2008. However, several Senate Democrats have been reluctant to impose a strict deadline on the president.

Several Republican senators said Tuesday they were inclined to vote in favor of moving toward debate on Iraq, even if they disagree with Reid's resolution. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said he anticipates nearly all Republicans oppose the suggestion of a timetable and moving toward a vote would give members a chance to prove it.

Even if Wednesday's vote is successful, Republicans and Democrats will still need to agree on the limits of the debate. Also, GOP leaders are expected to insist that Reid's resolution need 60 votes to pass - a requirement that will likely doom the resolution.

"That's the way we do business in the Senate," Republican leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said of the 60-vote threshold.

In the House, Democratic leaders continued to try to rally members behind spending legislation aimed at ending the war. The House passed a nonbinding resolution in February stating opposition to Bush's decision to send 21,500 more troops to Iraq.

The $124 billion measure would includes $95.5 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The money for the Defense Department is $4 billion more than the president requested - extra money intended to enhance operations in Afghanistan and pay for added training and equipment and improved medical care for U.S. troops.

The bill also would demand that the president bring troops home by fall 2008.

Democratic leaders on Tuesday said they were still counting votes to ensure the measure would pass.

"We think we have brought together a large consensus within our caucus," said Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md. "Probably every member of the caucus could say I wish that was in there or I wish that wasn't in there."

House Republicans said they wouldn't support it and the White House threatened a veto.

Rob Portman, director of the Office of Management and Budget, on Tuesday issued a statement attacking the bill. Portman did not reiterate the veto threat or say how the bill might affect the war, focusing instead what he called unnecessary domestic spending added to the bill.