House Democrats Ready Anti-War Resolution
Moving ahead after the Senate Iraq debate got stymied by a Republican filibuster, House leaders Monday put out a very simple two-paragraph resolution saying Congress supports the troops in Iraq but opposes President Bush's plan to send 20,000 more, CBS News correspondent Bob Fuss reports.
The resolution sets the stage for the first major Iraq debate in Congress in years – three full days where every member of the House will have five minutes to speak about the war.
Though nonbinding, it will speak volumes if, as expected, a bipartisan majority votes a resolution of no confidence in the president's war strategy.
Debate on the resolution is scheduled to begin on Tuesday with a vote by Friday.
The measure says that Congress "disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush ... to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq."
Read the House resolution on Iraq
It also says, "Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States armed forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq."
Democratic leaders in the House and Senate have vowed to force an end to U.S. participation in the war, and made debate over a nonbinding resolution a symbolic first step.
The House measure was drafted in simple, unadorned terms, an attempt by Democrats to maximize the number of Republicans who would support it and also to emphasize support for the troops. Republican leaders have said they expect at least a few dozen defections when the vote is taken later in the week.
House Republican leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, has said the GOP will have an alternative, but it is not clear that majority Democrats will allow it to be offered on the House floor.
"We're going to have Republicans who are skeptical of (Bush's) plan who'll probably vote for this," he said. Asked if he thought House Republicans would lose a third of their members to the Democrats' resolution, he said, "I don't think we'll lose that many."
Boehner complained Sunday that Democrats had backed out of a promise to allow an immediate, wide-ranging debate on Iraq.
On Thursday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said Republicans would be permitted to propose an alternative this week to the Democrats' resolution. But on Sunday, Hoyer said that is "not necessarily our plan."
Hoyer, D-Md., said a House vote will be limited to the proposed resolution opposing President Bush's troop escalation and a Republican alternative would be voted on 30 to 45 days from now.
"Live up to your word," Boehner, R-Ohio, told Hoyer. Democrats, Boehner said, "won't even let us have a substitute. ... Give us a vote this week."
Boehner said Republicans want to offer a resolution saying a bipartisan panel should oversee the president's plan, with benchmarks to keep track of whether it is progressing.
"You're going to have that opportunity," Hoyer replied.
The lawmakers appeared together on "Meet the Press" on NBC.