WASHINGTON D.C. - This past Friday, Congress voted on nonbinding resolutions opposing President George Bush's plan to send an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq.
The resolution passed easily in the House, with a vote of 246-182, and 17 Republicans joined the majority of Democrats in support of the resolution. "We owe our troops a course of action in Iraq that is worthy of their sacrifice," said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. "Today, we set the stage for a new direction in Iraq."
The Senate voted on the same resolution over the weekend, although Democrats weren't able to gain the support they had hoped for in a 56-37 vote. Only seven Republicans sided with the Democrats. Republican John Warner of Virginia stated that, "We support the president on the diplomatic aspects of his plan. We support the president on the economic aspects of his plan. We only disagree with one portion of it: Mr. President, do you need 21,500 additional men and women of the armed forces in this conflict?"
The major concern within the government is that the resolution could lead to further legislation that would block funding for the war altogether. Bush expressed support for the upcoming bill that would commit about $100 billion more to the war. Bush stated that "Our men and women in uniform are counting on their elected leaders to provide them with the support they need to accomplish their mission."
According to several polls cited by CNN, the majority of the U.S. public currently opposes the war and Bush's increase in troop numbers, although he has recently gained a small increase in support for the troop surge.