U.S. Senate: Troops Will Stay In Iraq

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John Warner on the Senate Iraq resolution debate

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U.S. Senate: Troops Will Stay In Iraq

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After an all-night session [NP] in the U.S. Senate, the call for cloture on the Levin/Reed Amendment discussion came a little after 11:00 AM EDT. The amendment calls for troop removal within 120 days of approval and full removal by April 30, 2008 and the appointment of an international intermediary. A similar bill was passed last week [CNN] in the U.S. House. Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV), called for the all-night session to debate the situation in Iraq due to building frustation with current administration and war strategy.

The vote results were 52 (YES) to 47 (NO), denying the ability to vote on the amendment. Despite calls from Democrats and Republicans defecting from party opinion, 8 additional votes were needed. Some key points by each Majority Leader:

Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid (D-NV):

• Thanked workers of U.S. Senate for their extra effort in the office -stating they could not function without them.
• "One of the most important decisions Senators will ever make."
• "There is no military solution to the situation in Iraq." -per Gen. Petraeus and military analysts.
•  "When Carl Levin (D-MI) deals with legislation, there is no room for error. No one is a better legislator than Carl Levin."

Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell (D-KY):

•  Second week of debate, last 24-hours were not necessary
• "What would the Levin/Reed amendment do?" -still not discussed, debated. 1.5 page amendment contains vague assertions
• We need to wait until September
  

Both sides focused on September. Republicans said repeatedly that we need to wait and see what the recent troop surge will accomplish. Democrats stressed that 6 additional weeks will not make a difference and a vote to pull troops today should be allowed. Additionally, stressing that all Democrats wanted was a simple majority vote vs. 60 votes due to filibuster by Republicans.

A few Republicans chose not to argue Iraq and pointed out that the 24-hour session should be used to debate or discuss H.R.1585, The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008. This bill's  highlights include 3% increase in pay for all armed service personnel, additional military training, increase in troop deployment and anti-mine vehicles. Additional Republican arguments circled around the Levin/Reed amendment and the "failure to clarify its purpose." 

What was called "An argument of sound bites" and "a waste of time" repeatedly, turned into just that. After watching six of the 24-hour session as it happened, I was
impressed by arguments from both parties and their ability to talk for
many hours without repeating oneself often -if at all. As the discussion of the vote results continued I wondered if many taxpayers were left saying: was this worth it?

What are your thoughts on the past two weeks of U.S. Congress actions? Let NP know with comments/debate below.

Bills and Amendments:

• H.R. 1585, The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008
• S.AMDT.2087, "Levin/Reed Amendment"
  

Political Opinions:

• 
  Senate Dems’ all-nighter conveys renewed push to end the Iraq war; The Hill - July 18, 2007
• Clinton and McCain Speak Overnight; New York Times - July 18, 2008
• Senators lose sleep over war in Iraq;  The Washington Times - July 18, 2007
• Senators pull all-nighter for debate on Iraq; Washington Post - July 18, 2007