Show Deadline i abandoned i for troop withdrawal Murray The Washington Post I Democrats Tuesday Tuesday gave up their demand for troop withdrawal deadlines in an Iraq war spending package abandoning their top goal of bringing US U.S. troops home and handing President Bush a victory in a debate that has roiled Congress for months Bush who has already vetoed one spending bill with a troop timeline t had threatened to do the same with the next version if it came With such a condition Democratic leaders had pressed ahead anyway under h heavy avy pressure from liberals who believe that the party won control of Congress in November on the strength of antiwar sentiment But in the end Home Continued on page 6 Bringing them Home Continued from page 1 Democrats said they did not have enough votes to override a presidential veto and could not delay troop funding The spending package expected to total S SI 20 billion when the final version is released Wednesday would require Bush to surrender virtually none of his war authority Democrats were working to secure two other priorities that the president had previously resisted an increase in the thc minimum wage and funding for domestic programs including veterans' veterans benefits Katrina relief and agricultural aid Instead of sticking with withdrawal troop-withdrawal dates Democrats accepted a GOP plan to establish 18 political and legislative benchmarks for the Iraqi government with periodic reports from Bush on its progress starting in late July If the Iraqis fall short they could forfeit US U.S. reconstruction aid House Speaker Nancy D was so disappointed with the outcome that she said she might vote against th the Iraq portion of the package which will be split into two parts when it comes before the House Im not likely to vote for something that doesn't have a timetable said and Leader Harry Reid D Nev worked to hammer out a final agreement through Tuesday evening consul consulting ting regularly with GOP leaders and the White House The package is expected to come before the House and the Senate tomorrow and to tobe tobe tobe be sent Bush no later than Friday before members of Congress leave for a weeklong weeklong weeklong week- week long Memorial Day recess Reid called the benchmark language extremely weak but he noted that Bush had initially demanded a bill with no strings attached on Iraq For heavens heaven's sake look where weve we've come Reid said Its a lot more than the president ever expected hed he'd have to agree to Republicans remained united throughout the debate despite strong public opposition to the war and grov growing g internal doubts that a military victory in Iraq is achievable While some Republicans chastised Democrats for backing off from surrender dates GOP reaction was somewhat muted when details of the deal circulated Tuesday afternoon The war debate began in January when Bush announced plans to increase troop levels in Iraq It has raged without t pause ever since pushing aside the Democrats Democrats' ambitious 2006 election agenda while testing loyalties in both parties After initially resisting all Democratic efforts to challenge Bush many GOP lawmakers are arenow arenow arenow now prepared to reassess the entire war effort once the new funding measure expires on Sept 30 As our leadership from the president on down to the leaders of Congress have said repeatedly were we're not there forever said Sen John Warner Wamer R who crafted the benchmark proposal with a group of moderate Republicans and Democrats Were Vere there thereto to help you so long as you as a sovereign nation pull your own weight and do your responsible job From the outset of the battle on spending Democratic leaders knew that their options would be limited by the party's slim governing majorities in both chambers In the 51 to 49 Senate Sen Tim Johnson S.D. D-S.D. was absent after a abrain abrain abrain brain hemorrhage while independent Sen Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut a member of the Democratic caucus backed Bush on the war Passage of the first spending bill was secured by a narrow 51 to 46 vote with support from two Republicans Sens Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Gordon Smith of Oregon Bush vetoed that billon bill billon billon on May 1 I singling out provisions that would have required troop withdrawals to begin later this year while setting a goal of removing most US U.S. combat forces by March 31 2008 Meanwhile the benchmark concept started to circulate among Republicans as as a possible alternative Almost all Republicans along with Lieberman and seven Democrats backed the Warner proposal last week in a symbolic Senate vote In a meeting Friday with congressional leaders White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten signaled that Bush would accept the Warner terms tenus but and Reid continued to press for a withdrawal timetable even offering Bush a waiver option Democrats said they would drop the domestic spending in the bill in exchange but when Bolten declined the withdrawal offer Reid and put the additional billions back backon on the table Tuesday night negotiators said Democrats had dropped just three items from the first bill including funding for a low-income low heating program and fishing industry subsidies Both sides are in a position where neither cando cando can cando do something without the other That's the reality said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer D Even before the ink was dry on the spending deal antiwar lawmakers expressed strong opposition There has been a lot of tough talk from members of Congress about wanting to end this war but it looks like the desire for political comfort won out over oyer real action said Sen Russell Feingold D But Democrats vowed to continue their quest on other legislative vehicles The big showdown will come in several months when funding from the new bill expires and results from the US U.S. troop buildup and the Iraqi benchmarks begin to materialize This is another stage in th the sequencing of ending this war said who added that September would be the moment of truth |