US House resolution condemns Iraq troop increase
Source: Reuters
(Adds attempt to revive Senate debate, paras 13-14) By Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - U.S. House of Representatives Democrats unveiled a resolution on Monday opposing a troop buildup in Iraq, setting up a confrontation this week over President George W. Bush's war strategy. Seizing the initiative from a deadlocked Senate, the House is expected to vote on Friday on Bush's decision to send another 21,500 troops to fight the unpopular war after each of its 435 members is given the chance to speak for five minutes. It does not force the president to do anything, but supporters say they hope a strong statement against his policy will make Bush reconsider. The simple, two-sentence resolution also pledges support for U.S. troops. "Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq," the resolution says, adding: "Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq." With the House debate expected to begin on Tuesday, Bush indicated he was not planning to watch it, telling an interviewer on C-SPAN television: "I've got a full day tomorrow" and "I already know what the debate is." "I hear a lot of opinions. And a lot of people don't believe we can succeed in Iraq and, therefore, I presume, want to get out. That would be a disastrous course as far as I'm concerned," Bush said. House Republicans have conceded they are likely to lose the vote on the measure and expect some of their members to defect and support it. Trying to undermine the proposal, they charged on Monday that it was the first step toward choking off spending for soldiers, something anathema to many lawmakers. "After their resolution passes, Democrats will begin moving legislation to systematically cut off funding for America's troops," declared a statement from House Republican leader John Boehner's office. Democratic leaders deny they will cut funding to troops in harm's way. They have pledged that in the coming weeks they will examine some Democrats' proposals to cap troop levels or place restrictions on funding for the war. Polls show most Americans oppose Bush's troop boost plan. Discontent with the Iraq war played a major part in the Democrats' takeover of Congress in November elections. House Republicans wanted a vote on a substitute proposal that would prevent a cutoff of funds for U.S. troops, but House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, refused. He said he wanted to avoid the fighting that stymied the Senate, where the Iraq debate was shelved last week amid wrangling over whether to debate funding along with the troop increase. Virginia Republican Sen. John Warner, former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and several other senators from both parties sought on Monday to revive the Iraq debate in their chamber by attempting to attach their resolution opposing Bush's troop increase to legislation funding much of the government through the rest of this fiscal year. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, opposes amendments to the government funding bill, making Warner's attempt unlikely to succeed. Reid has pledged the chamber will return to the Iraq issue in some form. (Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria)
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