Senators introduce Iraq Study Group legislation
It is the sense of Congress that the President and Congress should agree that the way forward in Iraq is to implement the comprehensive set of recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, particularly those specifically described in this Act, and the President should formulate a comprehensive plan to do so.
Senators Ken Salazar (D-CO) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) introduced the Iraq Study Group (ISG) Recommendations Implementation Act of 2007 today. The legislation puts the 79 recommendations of the Iraq Study Group in place as the policy of the United States in Iraq.
There are five Republican co-sponsors - Pete Domenici (R-NM), Susan Collins (R-ME), John Sununu (R-NH), Bob Bennett (R-UT), and Judd Gregg (R-NH). These and other Republican Senators - Lugar, Voinovich, Warner - will force the Bush administration to reshape Iraq policy before the September surge "check-in." At least, Majority Leader Harry Reid will try and force them to. From a statement today:
Senator Domenici is correct to assess that the Administration's war strategy is misguided. But we will not see a much-needed change of course in Iraq until Republicans like Senators Domenici, Lugar and Voinovich are willing to stand up to President Bush and his stubborn clinging to a failed policy – and more importantly, back up their words with action. Beginning with the Defense Authorization bill next week, Republicans will have the opportunity to not just say the right things on Iraq, but vote the right way too so that we can bring the responsible end to this war that the American people demand and deserve.As evidence mounts that the 'surge' is failing to make Iraq more secure, we cannot wait until the Administration's September report before we change course. President Bush and the Iraqis must move now to finally accept a measure of accountability for this war, implement the Iraq Study Group recommendations, transition the mission for our combat troops and start bringing them home from an intractable civil war.
