The Senate this week is expected to begin debating legislation aimed at ending the war in Iraq, beginning with an amendment that would increase rest time for troops between deployments.
“The Iraq debate is starting,” said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., after a meeting with Democrats on Tuesday.
The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., would guarantee troops the same amount of time at home as they served in a war zone. Such legislation would hasten the war’s end by making fewer troops available.
“It’s about giving our military the ability to replenish, to reconstitute themselves, to restore the military to what we think it should be — not what it is because of their being so depleted as a result of what’s going on in Iraq,” Reid said.
Democrats so far lack the support of enough Republicans to allow up-or-down votes on Iraq legislation.
Webb said he is working on winning over three Republicans to get the 60 votes needed to pass a procedural hurdle. He has altered the bill so it would not take effect until 120 days after it is enacted.
“I’m hoping that will bring some more people onboard,” Webb said.
Critics of the Webb amendment, including Arizona Republican and presidential hopeful John McCain, say the provision is unconstitutional and would hurt the military’s ability to keep the troops safe.
“This kind of micromanagement … would create chaos in the personnel system in the armed forces of the United States,” McCain said.
Reid announced the Senate would consider several other war measures as well, including a provision sponsored by Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., that would call for redeploying by June 2008 all troops in Iraq except those involved in fighting terrorism.
Another, authored by Sens. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and Jack Reed, D-R.I., would give President Bush a definite timetable to begin withdrawing a significant number of troops and would require him to shift the mission of those remaining in Iraq to combating terrorism, protecting U.S. bases and equipment, and guarding Iraqi borders.
The Senate will hold a procedural vote today on legislation that would restore habeas corpus rights to prisoners who are deemed to be enemy combatants.
The legislation would also permit prisoners at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and other prisons to fight their incarceration in federal court.
