The House has narrowly passed Congressman Ike Skelton’s bill calling for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq by next April.
Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, says the long struggle in Iraq has created a readiness crisis in a military stressed by the campaign…and under-equipped because of equipment losses.
Congressman Todd Akin of St. Louis says the bill solves no problems; it just plays politics. He says it is not a bold plan. It offers no better way. He calls the bill "a bunch of wishes" that is "absolutely useless" in solving problems.
Skelton says continuing in Iraq leaves this country less able to deal with new challenges. He says the nation needs to pass the responsibility for Iraq back to the Iraqis so the United States military is no longer stretched to the point that the United States cannot adequately respond to another military threat.
The House voted 223-201 for the bill…Four Republicans said ‘yes," Ten Democrats voted ‘no."
The Senate has to approve it. The president says he’ll veto it. The House vote indicates there is not enough support for a veto override.
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