U.S. Senate passes Iraq funding bill that includes Iraq pullout deadline.

[sabra]

Source: MSNBC

BREAKING NEWS U.S. Senate passes Iraq funding bill that includes Iraq pullout deadline.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/

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More:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17852151/

WASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled Senate ignored a veto threat and voted Thursday for a bill requiring President Bush to start withdrawing combat troops from Iraq within four months, dealing a sharp rebuke to a wartime commander in chief.

In a mostly party line 51-47 vote, the Senate signed off on a bill providing $122 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also orders Bush to begin withdrawing troops within 120 days of passage while setting a nonbinding goal of ending combat operations by March 31, 2008.

The vote came shortly after Bush, in a move that his aides said was unprecedented, invited all House Republicans to the White House to appear with him in a sort of pep rally to bolster his position in the continuing war policy fight.
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"We stand united in saying loud and clear that when we've got a troop in harm's way, we expect that troop to be fully funded," Bush said, surrounded by Republicans on the North Portico, "and we got commanders making tough decisions on the ground, we expect there to be no strings on our commanders."

[Monkeyman]

1. The Democrats have just voted for the troops TIMELINE

[babylonsister]

2. The ball is now in dimson's court; troops home now! nt

[Bicoastal]

3. Interesting....

Due to the slim majority in the Senate, doesn't this mean that several people on the other side of the aisle voted for it as well?

[nodehopper]

12. Smith and Hagel did. Enzi did not vote. Lieberman voted NAY, of course.

[maddezmom]

4. Reuters US Senate approves '08 goal to bring troops home 51-47

US Senate approves '08 goal to bring troops home
29 Mar 2007 15:01:31 GMT
More (Adds quote, detail)

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Thursday defied President George W. Bush by passing a war-funding bill setting a goal of withdrawing all American combat soldiers from Iraq within a year.

By a vote of 51-47, the Senate approved the bill Bush has vowed to veto. It would require the president to begin a troop withdrawal within four months and try to complete it by March 31, 2008. The initiative was attached to a $121.7 billion bill that mostly funds wars in Iraq and Afghanistan this year.

The House of Representatives passed legislation last week setting a mandatory troop withdrawal deadline of Sept. 1, 2008. The two chambers will try to work out a compromise before sending the bill to Bush next month.

The House and Senate hope to negotiate a compromise bill by the week of April 16 and pass that compromise by the following week.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N29444259.htm

[lonestarnot]

5. Thanks for the news.

[Roland99]

6. Veto the troops now, B*tch...er Bush

[dipsydoodle]

7. BBC have it too now

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6507801.stm

[matcom]

8. and that makes #5

:bounce:

[MaineDem]

9. Here's the roll call

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00126

[maddezmom]

10. Pryor voted for it this time

[PinkUnicorn]

11. Catchs

The catch though I think is this line...

while setting a nonbinding goal of ending combat operations by March 31, 2008.

*It's non-binding so it would be easy to claim 'operational' reasons to stay.

*It says 'combat operations' - Chimp claimed 'combat operations' were finished when he pranced about in his flight suit. All they would have to do is repackage it under 'Stabilization action', 'Peacekeeping', 'Mutual assistance' or the like - you could lay money the Iraqi puppet government would 'ask for assistance' if they were so commanded.

But in any case Chimp will just throw a tantrum and veto it I suspect. From what I understand you need a 2/3 majority to veto a veto and this just barely passed.

[nodehopper]

13. so when does it go to Bush for signing/vetoing?