Democrats Win, Lose
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
WASHINGTON (AP) – Democrats aggressively challenged President Bush’s Iraq policy at both ends of the Capitol on Thursday, gaining House committee approval for a troop withdrawal deadline of Sept. 1, 2008, but suffering defeat in the Senate on a less sweeping plan to end U.S. participation in the war.
Anti-war Democrats prevailed on a near-party line vote of 36-28 in the House Appropriations Committee, brushing aside a week-old veto threat and overcoming unyielding opposition from Republicans.
“I want this war to end. I don’t want to go to any more funerals,” said Represenative Jose Serrano of New York, one of several liberal Democrats who have pledged their support for the legislation despite preferring a faster end to the war.
“Nobody wants our troops out of Iraq more than I do, countered Representative C.W. Bill Young of Florida, who sought unsuccessfully to scuttle the timeline for a troop withdrawal. “But we can’t afford to turn over Iraq to Al Qaeda.”
In the Senate, after weeks of skirmishing, Republicans easily turned back Democratic legislation requiring a troop withdrawal to begin within 120 days. The measure set no fixed deadline for completion of the redeployment, but set a goal of March 31, 2008. The vote was 50-48 against the measure, 12 short of the 60 needed for passage.
