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Senate Renews Push for Iraq Withdrawal Deadlines

A push for troop withdrawals from Iraq became a shove Tuesday in the Senate. It came in the form of an amendment sponsored by the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.

Michigan's Carl Levin seeks to attach a redeployment deadline to a bill authorizing $650 billion in military spending next year, some of it for Iraq. And it appears that some Republicans may join Democrats in backing the measure.

Just as he did on an Iraq spending bill that President Bush vetoed in May, Levin is again calling for U.S. troop withdrawals from Iraq to begin within 120 days of enactment. But Levin noted Tuesday that this time there's also a firm deadline for the transition to be completed.

Majority leader Harry Reid said he's counting on virtually all Senate Democrats to vote for the measure. And he said he's been told a number of Republicans will vote with them.

Copyright 2023 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

David Welna is NPR's national security correspondent.
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