Making up for its earlier failure to pass a resolution calling for a certain end to the American military occupation of Iraq, the United States Senate yesterday defeated a Republican attempt to strip language requiring an end date for the occupation. With roll call vote 116, the Senate defeated amendment 643 to H.R. 1591, offered by Senator Thad Cochran from Mississippi.
S. amdt. 643 would have allowed the Bush White House to continue its open-ended military occupation of Iraq without any accountability. The amendment would have eliminated the provision from the legislation that requires the Bush Administration to begin withdrawing military troops 120 days after the legislation is passed, and end the occupation by March 2008.
George W. Bush has promised to veto the legislation, which also includes funding for military veterans’ health care. So, President Bush will sacrifice the well-being of military veterans in order to continue his occupation of Iraq. Nonetheless, this legislation is the first real attempt by Congress to end the disaster in Iraq. If George W. Bush refuses to abide by it, the responsibility is on his head, and on the head of those senators who fail to override the veto.
Here’s a surprise: One of those stubborn pro-war senators is a Democrat. Senator Mark Pryor, a Democrat from Arkansas, voted in favor of keeping American soldiers in Iraq without any end in sight. Senator Pryor voted with the Republicans, in favor of following the same old path of failure, humiliation, misery, and death in Iraq.
On the other hand, a couple of Republican senators decided to finally do the right thing, and call for an end to the occupation of Iraq. Senator Chuck Hagel and Senator Gordon Smith voted against the Republican amendment. Thanks to them for finally doing the right thing.
