Senate To Vote On Kosovo

The Senate is expected to vote Tuesday morning on a motion sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) authorizing President Clinton to use all necessary force to accomplish U.S. and NATO goals in Yugoslavia.

This "blank check" authorization is opposed by both Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), and is expected to fail on a test vote despite lobbying by McCain and other senators including Joe Biden (D-Del.), Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.). McCain and the others have been urging the president to ask NATO for authorization to prepare for ground forces in Kosovo, should they be necessary.

In a speech on the Senate floor Monday, McCain was harshly critical of the president's leadership in the Kosovo mission and claimed that Clinton's motives were political. "Publically and repeatedly ruling out ground troops may be smart politics according to the president's pollster, but it is inexcusably irresponsible leadership," he said.

An opponent of the resolution, Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.V.), said the measure was too wide ranging. "Giving the president blanket authority to use whatever action," said Byrd, "is a bold and risky stroke." Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) noted that the resolution was unnecessary: "Why should we take unilateral action when he does not want us to, has not asked us to?"

The Clinton administration also opposes the resolution, as they fear that the contentious issue of authorizing ground troops would further divide the Congress and lead to increased efforts by some to curb Mr. Clinton's authority. Last week, the House voted on several Kosovo-related resolutions, none of which garnered enough support to indicate a clear signal as to the House's position on the crisis in Kosovo.

McCain, after eight hours of Senate debate on Monday, said the measure had produced "one of the more bizarre scenarios" he had ever seen in Congress: "an administration lobbying feverishly against a resolution giving it more authority."

McCain is a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000 and his outspoken views -- and increased media visibility -- on Kosovo have bolstered his position in a crowded field of 11 possible contenders.