Senate Questions Iraq Strategy for First Time Since 2002

On Tuesday, a bipartisan majority in the U.S. Senate signaled that the Congress will no longer give a carte blanche to the United States “staying the course” in Iraq. The legislation, approved November 15, contains the strongest criticism of the administration’s conduct of the war since the Congress voted three years ago to authorize the use of force in Iraq. This vote is a clear response to increasing grassroots efforts to persuade Congress to take action toward withdrawal of military forces from Iraq – but more work is needed.

The Senate voted 79 to 19 to amend the fiscal 2006 military authorization bill (S 1042) to require the president to define the conditions necessary for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and to submit quarterly, non-classified reports on progress toward reaching that goal. The proposal, offered by Sen. Warner (VA) and Senate Majority Leader Frist (TN), expresses the Senate view that "2006 should be a period of significant transition to full Iraqi sovereignty" and declares that U.S. military troops should not stay “any longer than required.” See how your senators voted at http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/votes/?votenum=323&chamber=S&congress=1091.

The Senate approved this language only after rejecting by a vote of 58 to 40 a stronger proposal advanced by Sen. Levin (MI) that would have amended the military authorization bill to require the Bush administration to report on the conditions necessary for U.S. forces to leave Iraq and provide estimated dates for what the measure calls "the phased redeployment" of U.S. forces from Iraq. The Levin measure also included language affirming that U.S. military forces should not stay in Iraq "indefinitely." In advancing his amendment, Sen. Levin, the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, indicated that the Iraqi people need to be told that the U.S. commitment is not open-ended. See how your senators voted at http://capwiz.com/fconl/issues/votes/?votenum=322&chamber=S&congress=1091.

Neither the language approved by the Senate nor the alternative offered by Sen. Levin offers a clear, unambiguous statement of policy that the U.S. will withdraw all troops and bases from Iraq, as FCNL has proposed in its Iraq STEP approach. But after three years of refusing to approve any measures critical of the conduct of the war, the Senate endorsement of policy language suggesting the U.S. will not have a permanent military presence in Iraq is a strong indication that our message has been heard.

Your calls, emails, letters, and visits to members of Congress asking their support for STEP are working. While the practical consequences of the bipartisan vote on the Republican-led proposal passed by the Senate may be limited and largely symbolic, the movement toward substantive, bipartisan dialogue on U.S. policy in Iraq is extremely encouraging. This action is a direct result of a clear call by the U.S. public for Congress to challenge the administration’s policies in Iraq.

We need your help to keep up the grassroots pressure for language clarifying that no U.S. military troops or bases should remain in Iraq. This vote is only the first step in opening a dialogue that must lead to closing the purse strings on this war and setting a clear policy to fully end U.S. military presence in Iraq. Now we need to continue the work to encourage Congress to pass a strong, unambiguous statement that the U.S. plans to withdraw from Iraq.

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Friends Committee on National Legislation
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