February 11, 2009 5:07 PM

Senate Passes Iraq Pullout Bill

(CBS/AP)  Senate Democrats pushed through a bill Thursday requiring President Bush to start withdrawing troops from "the civil war in Iraq," dealing a rare, sharp rebuke to a wartime commander in chief.

In a mostly party-line 51-47 vote, the Senate signed off on a bill providing $123 billion to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also orders Mr. Bush to begin withdrawing troops within 120 days of passage while setting a nonbinding goal of ending combat operations by March 31, 2008.

The president says he can't accept those terms and has promised a veto, reports CBS News correspondent Sharyl Attkisson. The troops' money hangs in limbo — with each side saying it's the other who's not supporting the boots on the ground. The outstanding question now is: Which side will blink first?

"We stand united in saying loud and clear that when we've got a troop in harm's way, we expect that troop to be fully funded," Mr. Bush said, surrounded by Republicans on the North Portico, "and we got commanders making tough decisions on the ground, we expect there to be no strings on our commanders."

"We expect the Congress to be wise about how they spend the people's money," he said.

The Senate vote marked its boldest challenge yet to the administration's handling of a war, now in its fifth year, that has cost the lives of more than 3,200 American troops and more than $350 billion.

"We have fulfilled our constitutional responsibilities," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters shortly after the vote.

If Mr. Bush "doesn't sign the bill, it's his responsibility," Reid added.

In a show of support for the president, most Republicans opposed the measure, unwilling to back a troop withdrawal schedule despite the conflict's widespread unpopularity.

"Surely this will embolden the enemy and it will not help our troops in any way," said Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala.

While Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that setting timelines for withdrawal would hamper U.S. commanders in Iraq, he said Thursday that the debate on Capitol Hill has "been helpful in bringing pressure to bear" on the Iraqi government. He said it has made it clear to the Iraqis that "there is a very real limit to Americans' patience."

Gates also said he was disturbed to hear one of his military officers say it will be fall before they have a good idea how well the latest Baghdad campaign is going. He said he hopes that Gen. David Petraeus, the top commander in Iraq, will be able to make that evaluation by summer.

Forty-eight Democrats and independent Bernard Sanders of Vermont were joined by two Republicans, Chuck Hagel of Nebraska and Gordon Smith of Oregon, in voting for the measure. Opposed were 46 Republicans and Connecticut independent Joseph Lieberman.

Sens. Mike Enzi, R-Wy., and Tim Johnson, D-S.D., did not vote.

The House, also run by Democrats, narrowly passed similar legislation last week. The next step, CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports, is for a conference to meld the two bills together. That will not happen until after an upcoming two-week recess.



© 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Add a Comment See all 261 Comments
by j-whitman March 30, 2007 9:18 PM EDT
Funny -- Bush stopped desert training, mountain training for our troops (Iraq is desert, Afaganistan mountains) -
- Bush underfunded equipment repairs for our troops.

----- Now Bush is saying democrats are stopping training ?? Dems not repairing thier equipment ???? -- DROP DEAD GEORGE
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by susanhelit March 30, 2007 4:48 PM EDT
Go Congress! Bush may have bypassed them, but maybe now they've got the guts to perform their role, and actually save us from this undeclared, unwinnable war.
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by tejasdemo March 30, 2007 3:12 PM EDT
Good ! IT's about *** time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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by tejasdemo March 30, 2007 3:08 PM EDT
Good ! IT's about *** time !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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by abbe7 March 30, 2007 1:28 PM EDT
Third try to post ...

Try to imagine what would happen, had this passed (line item veto) ...
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060627-1.html
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by abbe7 March 30, 2007 1:09 PM EDT

What a pity for Bush the "line item veto" didn't pass ...

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/20060627-1.html
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by abbe7 March 30, 2007 12:49 PM EDT
Aren't you happy "line item veto" didn't pass ?
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by starleo146 March 30, 2007 11:53 AM EDT
I am not sure but Pres. Bush spent 4-500 billion on the Iraq war. He received from the house and senate all he asked for as far as funding this war for our troops. He called too much PORK well I contend he will pay anything to Iraq for what we don't know he says it's for the troops but they still lack the proper equipment How much is going to the government of Iraq for what? We have no oversight of this money. Now he calls helping Americans PORK this add on was for Katrina money he promised but never committed and way overdue, the California frost all but did the farming Industry in , the Spinach was for that e-coli that did the spinach crop in I say what is wrong with helping Americans Mr. Bush? How about that bridge to nowhere you let go through when the Republicans had the majority no mention of PORK then. It is the date March 2008 he didn't like this man needs to be IMPEACHED.
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by liberalvet March 30, 2007 11:46 AM EDT
Good to see Bush and Co no longer have the rubber stamp to do whatever however. Beware you loyal Bush republican senators and congressmen, elections are coming up and you will be held accountable for your ignorance and incompetence...

The American people are more pi**ed of today than last year, and you got the big boot then what do you think is going to happen in 08.
Reply to this comment
by liberalvet March 30, 2007 11:32 AM EDT
Good to see Bush and Co no longer have the rubber stamp to do whatever however. Beware you loyal Bush republican senators and congressmen, elections are coming up and you will be held accountable for your ignorance and incompetence...

The American people are more pi**ed of today than last year, and you got the big boot then what do you think is going to happen in 08.
Reply to this comment
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