Senate Breaks With the President on Iraq
Wednesday November 16, 2005
In yet another sign that he has lost clout with his party, President Bush saw the Senate demand Tuesday that he explain the Administration's strategy in Iraq and report regularly to Congress on plans to withdraw. The bi-partisan vote (79-19) is the first public break between Congressional Republican leaders and the President on the war in Iraq. However, they rejected a Democrat-sponsored measure that would have specified a timetable.
The Senate also approved (84-14) a measure that allows some Guantanamo Bay, Cuba terrorists to appeal their military convictions in civilian courts. The sponsors, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC) is a military judge in the Air Force Reserves.
Lawmakers likely had the 2006 election on their minds, given the current state of public opinion on the war. The House has not acted on the measure; some analysts do not expect the House to concur on the non-binding resolution.
Amendment 2518, offered by Sen. John Warner (R-VA), is yet another (of many) tacked onto S1042, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.
The nineteen opposition votes included six Democrats (Byrd, Conrad, Harkin, Kennedy, Kerry and Leahy):
Media covering this story: Boston Globe, Houston Chronicle, Indianapolis Star, Newsday
Blogs covering this story: US Liberals, The Grape's Vine, Kaza Blog
Technorati Tags and Profile
Iraq, Politics, Senate
The Senate also approved (84-14) a measure that allows some Guantanamo Bay, Cuba terrorists to appeal their military convictions in civilian courts. The sponsors, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-SC) is a military judge in the Air Force Reserves.
Lawmakers likely had the 2006 election on their minds, given the current state of public opinion on the war. The House has not acted on the measure; some analysts do not expect the House to concur on the non-binding resolution.
Amendment 2518, offered by Sen. John Warner (R-VA), is yet another (of many) tacked onto S1042, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006.
The nineteen opposition votes included six Democrats (Byrd, Conrad, Harkin, Kennedy, Kerry and Leahy):
- Bunning (R-KY)
- Burr (R-NC)
- Byrd (D-WV)
- Chambliss (R-GA)
- Coburn (R-OK)
- Conrad (D-ND)
- DeMint (R-SC)
- Graham (R-SC)
- Harkin (D-IA)
- Inhofe (R-OK)
- Isakson (R-GA)
- Kennedy (D-MA)
- Kerry (D-MA)
- Kyl (R-AZ)
- Leahy (D-VT)
- McCain (R-AZ)
- Sessions (R-AL)
- Thune (R-SD)
- Vitter (R-LA)
- Baucus (D-MT)
- Biden (D-DE)
- Bingaman (D-NM)
- Byrd (D-WV)
- Dayton (D-MN)
- Durbin (D-IL)
- Feingold (D-WI)
- Harkin (D-IA)
- Kennedy (D-MA)
- Lautenberg (D-NJ)
- Leahy (D-VT)
- Rockefeller (D-WV)
- Sarbanes (D-MD)
- Specter (R-PA)
Media covering this story: Boston Globe, Houston Chronicle, Indianapolis Star, Newsday
Blogs covering this story: US Liberals, The Grape's Vine, Kaza Blog
Technorati Tags and Profile
Iraq, Politics, Senate