If Congress is in session, then Congressional Democrats must be working on a way to end the Iraq war. This week the stage is the Senate, which is taking up the defense authorization bill. The first amendments to be considered are likely to deal with the U.S. base at Guantanamo Bay — one amendment to grant detainees the right to contest their detention in federal court, the second to close the prison. And, at some point in the next few days, the Senate is likely to pass an amendment offered by Senator Webb to mandate time at home between deployments to Iraq.
CQ is mistaken in this assessment, according to Secretary Gates–as are many other media outlets. Gates says that the amendment could in theory limit the number of troops in Iraq. But because the senior military leadership is unanimous on the strategy represented by Operation Phantom Thunder, the Webb amendment will instead place additional stresses on servicemen and women in Iraq, as well as force the Pentagon to call up more members of the National Guard and Reserve:
In the face of this straightforward and candid assessment of how the Pentagon would handle the Webb amendment, it will be interesting to watch Senate Democrats try to sell this as a measure to support the troops. It is expected that Webb’s amendment will achieve the 60-vote supermajority now needed to pass most controversial proposals, which could ultimately lead the president to veto the bill. Of more significance will be whatever amendment Senator Levin and the Democratic leadership produces in cooperation with moderate Republicans. That amendment is likely to mandate the commencement of a troop drawdown (which the president has of course, already called for). It may or may not specify a date-certain for withdrawal — depending on how many Republicans indicate support for each approach:
There’s no expectation that Congress can force a troop withdrawal over the president’s veto. The votes are not there. So in a sense, all of this is shadow theater. In the meantime, Congress continues to fall behind on appropriations bills, reauthorization of the FAA and FDA, health care reform, energy reform, and other important issues where progress is possible.
