Bipartisan Group of US Senators Agree on Resolution Opposing Troop Increase to Iraq
17 January 2007
Three U.S. senators, including a leading Republican, have agreed on a resolution opposing President Bush' plan to send additional troops to Iraq.
Republican Senator Chuck Hagel and Democratic Senators Joseph Biden and Carl Levin held a news conference in Washington Wednesday.
Senator Hagel, a leading member of Mr. Bush's own Republican party, said the resolution is the result of a genuine bipartisan effort and that the United States must have a national debate on how to move forward in Iraq. Hagel has been a vocal critic of the administration's handling of the Iraq war.
Senator Biden said the war in Iraq can only be sustained with the support of the American people and with bipartisan support in Congress. Senator Levin said he believed the resolution would have a major impact.
Democratic leaders are planning on introducing a similar resolution in the House of Representatives, forcing lawmakers to reveal publicly where they stand on the troop increase.
Meanwhile, President Bush is meeting with skeptical Republican lawmakers to try to win support for the troop increase.
White House spokesman Tony Snow said members of Congress who met with Mr. Bush today are "at least skeptical" of the administration's plan to send more than 21,000 additional troops to Iraq.
Some information for this report provided by AP and AFP.
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