Senate rejects pullout

Evan Lehmann.
North Adams Transcript.
North Adams, Mass.: May 17, 2007.

Thursday, May 17 WASHINGTON—The Senate rejected a plan Wednesday to withdraw American troops from Iraq beginning in four months, marking the second time in a week that Congress pressured the president to end the unpopular war.

The measure by Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wis., failed 29-67, with both Massachusetts senators supporting the proposal.

“We all must face up to the fact that Congress must use the power of the purse to force an end to the war, and the sooner we do so, the better,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

“It is wrong for the Congress to continue to defer to presidential decisions that we know are fatally flawed,” he added.

The proposal sought to cutoff funds for most military operations in Iraq by March 2008. A withdrawal would begin in 120 days.

The procedural vote required support from 60 senators to pass. Democrats, however, were divided and could muster less than two-thirds of their caucus. Nineteen Democrats voted against the measure; Republicans were unanimously opposed.

Last summer, only a dozen Democrats voted to end the war.

“The number of Democratic and Republican senators who agree that we must have benchmarks and timelines, continues to grow,” said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass. “Our troops have done their job in Iraq. Now it’s time for the president to listen to Congress and our generals, change course and redeploy our troops.”

###