Post by Blaque on Mar 8, 2007 11:05:59 GMT -5
Should the U.S. set a specific timeline to withdraw troops from Iraq?
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A deadline to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by next spring could be triggered as a result of legislation House Democratic leaders proposed Thursday.
The Democratic measure would put conditions on war funding requested by the Bush administration, Democratic leaders said at a Capitol Hill news conference.
The Bush administration has requested nearly $100 billion for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan this year, with legislation authorizing the spending expected this month on the floor of the House of Representatives.
One condition stipulates the creation of a deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq if Bush fails to produce evidence that the Iraqi government is meeting specific benchmarks -- such as training Iraqi forces and sharing oil revenue.
The timetable would have some troops coming home from Iraq as early as spring 2008, with all combat troops out by that fall, the leaders said.
A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are refusing to vote for more war spending, while more conservative members from states that have supported Bush worry that putting conditions on military spending could tie the hands of U.S. commanders. (Watch a general's assessment of Baghdad operations )
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and other party leaders are trying to find common ground with anti-war House members.
On Wednesday, leaders of the "Out of Iraq Caucus" wrote a letter pressuring party colleagues to set a "clear timeline" for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and bring American troops home. The caucus claims to include about 75 House members -- nearly a third of the Democratic majority. (Full story)
The speaker met with caucus members Wednesday evening in hopes of heading off a potentially embarrassing public showdown with fellow Democrats.
The Democratic leaders also were including provisions to make the plan more palatable to Republicans and more difficult for Bush to veto, according to an Associated Press report.
The legislation would include more money than Bush has requested for operations in Afghanistan and for health care at military facilities, the AP said. Money for health care for low-income children also would be included, the AP reported.
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A deadline to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq by next spring could be triggered as a result of legislation House Democratic leaders proposed Thursday.
The Democratic measure would put conditions on war funding requested by the Bush administration, Democratic leaders said at a Capitol Hill news conference.
The Bush administration has requested nearly $100 billion for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan this year, with legislation authorizing the spending expected this month on the floor of the House of Representatives.
One condition stipulates the creation of a deadline for U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraq if Bush fails to produce evidence that the Iraqi government is meeting specific benchmarks -- such as training Iraqi forces and sharing oil revenue.
The timetable would have some troops coming home from Iraq as early as spring 2008, with all combat troops out by that fall, the leaders said.
A growing number of Democratic lawmakers are refusing to vote for more war spending, while more conservative members from states that have supported Bush worry that putting conditions on military spending could tie the hands of U.S. commanders. (Watch a general's assessment of Baghdad operations )
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and other party leaders are trying to find common ground with anti-war House members.
On Wednesday, leaders of the "Out of Iraq Caucus" wrote a letter pressuring party colleagues to set a "clear timeline" for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and bring American troops home. The caucus claims to include about 75 House members -- nearly a third of the Democratic majority. (Full story)
The speaker met with caucus members Wednesday evening in hopes of heading off a potentially embarrassing public showdown with fellow Democrats.
The Democratic leaders also were including provisions to make the plan more palatable to Republicans and more difficult for Bush to veto, according to an Associated Press report.
The legislation would include more money than Bush has requested for operations in Afghanistan and for health care at military facilities, the AP said. Money for health care for low-income children also would be included, the AP reported.