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14 Feb, 2007 00:16

The U.S. House of Representatives challenges President Bush

The U.S. House of Representatives challenges President Bush

President Bush is facing his first direct challenge to his handling of the Iraqi war by American lawmakers. The U.S. House of Representatives has begun a three day debate on a resolution opposing the president's latest proposal for Iraq.

In spite of the implementation of President Bush's new Iraq security plan, sectarian violence rages on in the country. In Washington on the political battlefield, the U.S. House of Representatives began a debate on a non-binding resolution on the president’s policy in Iraq.

“In a few weeks, the war in Iraq will enter its fifth year, causing thousands of deaths, tens of thousands of casualties, causing hundreds of billions of dollars and damaging the standing of the United States in the international community and there is no end in sight,” says Nancy Pelosi, the House majority leader.

Democrats wrote a simple, tightly worded, resolution that says “Congress disapproves” of President Bush's decision to send additional forces to Iraq, in hopes of winning as many Republican votes as possible. Nonetheless, some Republican House members continue to stand behind the President, warning that the resolution may demoralize the troops and embolden the enemy."

“This non-binding resolution is the first step toward abandoning Iraq by cutting off funding for our troops that are in harm's way. And we know what al-Qaida thinks when America retreats from the battlefield. They think that we can't stomach the fight. This is why they haven't been afraid to strike us whenever and wherever they've had the opportunity to do so,” claimed John Boehner, the House minority leader.

According to a new Gallup poll 51% of Americans backs a congressional non-binding resolution on Iraq, and 63% of Americans want a timetable to withdraw all U.S. troops out of Iraq by 2008.

It’s highly expected that several dozen Republican Congressmen will defect and vote alongside the Democrats for the proposed House resolution. The vote should take place on Friday, and could be the start of yet another political showdown between the White House and Congress.

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