Listen to his words

(Read time: 2 minutes.)

On Tuesday the U.S. Senate voted 50-48 to block a Republican effort to remove a call for U.S. withdrawal from Iraq from a $124 billion war funding bill.

Listen to the words of Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican of Nebraska, who along with fellow Republican, Senator Gordon Smith of Oregon, voted to block the GOP move (LINK):

“It is now time for the Congress to step forward after a disastrous four years in Iraq. The language in the Senate supplemental bill does this in a responsible way.

“The Senate language, Mr. President, does not cut off funds (for troops). It does not impose a precipitous withdrawal of troops from Iraq. This language establishes a limited U.S. military mission in Iraq - counterterrorism, training Iraqi forces and protecting U.S. personnel.

“That is not new, Mr. President. We have heard that from this administration over the last four years. This wasn‘t dreamed up. And, this idea that somehow you don‘t support the troops if you don‘t continue, in a lemming-like way, to accept whatever this administration‘s policy is, that‘s what‘s wrong.”

***

Of note:

* The GOP could have filibustered to keep this vote from ever coming to the floor. That they did not is a matter of interest.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, claimed a filibuster would have slowed passage of the bill: “It's important to get the money to the troops."

Political observers say GOP senators are worried about voters back home.

* This $124 billion allocation, along with the $70 billion already approved this year for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, brings war spending to date to one-half trillion dollars.