Senate Republicans Want You (To Serve in Iraq Forever)

Senate Republicans Block Restrictions on Iraq Troop Deployments

By Nicholas Johnston

Sept. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic proposal yesterday to give troops more time between combat tours, in the first vote on a series of measures intended to change U.S. strategy in the Iraq war.

The measure fell four votes short of the 60 required to pass under Senate rules. Democrats are using their 51-49 majority to force the chamber to vote on legislative efforts to alter war strategy, while failing to get enough votes to pass them.

Republican critics called the combat tour measure an unconstitutional approach to withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq.

``It is a backdoor way of achieving what they want, which is defeat in Iraq because of a premature withdrawal,'' Missouri Republican Kit Bond said.

Supporters said the rules are needed to give troops enough time at home between deployments. The proposal was the first of several that Democrats plan to introduce about Iraq during this week's debate on an annual defense policy measure.

Some of the proposals will require the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Attempts to pass similar measures in July failed because of Republican opposition.

Yesterday's amendment, introduced by Virginia Democrat James Webb, would require troops in Iraq to spend as much time at home between deployments as they served in a war zone before returning to combat. On July 11, it fell four votes short of the 60 needed to pass.

Special Operations

Webb said he altered the measure by excluding special operations units from the requirement and allowing 120 days for it to take effect to gain the support of more Republicans and ease the concerns of Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

``We have drafted it with a great deal of care,'' Webb, whose son returned in May from a tour in Iraq with the U.S. Marines, told reporters. ``It is needed for the well-being of our troops and their family members.''

Still, Gates said on Sept. 14 that passage of the measure would complicate troop deployments and endanger U.S. forces.

``As well-intentioned as many of these proposals are, I think the reality is they become very difficult for us to manage and end up imposing some real hardships on not only our forces, but also potentially impacting combat effectiveness,'' Gates said.

Warner

Virginia Republican John Warner, who had voted for the earlier version, voted against it yesterday because he said the military couldn't meet its requirements. ``I have been convinced by those in the professional uniform that they cannot do it,'' he said.

Delaware Democrat Joe Biden said that the Webb measure was the Democrats' ``best shot'' for passing legislation that would require a change in Iraq policy.

The Senate will next consider measures requiring troop withdrawals after Democratic Leader Harry Reid decided not to take up legislation with non-binding withdrawal deadlines.

A measure backed by Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin would require troops to begin withdrawing within 90 days and cut off funding for the war on June 30. A similar version received only 29 votes on May 16.

A separate measure, introduced by Senators Carl Levin of Michigan and Jack Reed of Rhode Island, that would have required most U.S. troops to leave the country next year but doesn't withhold funding, fell eight votes short of 60 on July 18.

Earlier yesterday, the Senate blocked a proposal to let suspected terrorists at a U.S. military facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, challenge their confinement in federal court.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nicholas Johnston in Washington at njohnston3@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: September 20, 2007 00:09 EDT