Congress by the end of 2006 a plan with estimated dates for continued phased withdrawal. Just days after Senate Republicans ridiculed the proposal to begin a redeployment of troops from Iraq in 2006, General George Casey, commander of US forces in Iraq, basically ratified the same approach. Casey presented a plan that would begin redeploying troops in September 2006 and would result in a sharp reduction in forces by the end of 2007. [Vote 182, 6/22/06; Washington Post, 6/26/06; New York Times, 6/24/06] XXXX Voted Against Asking Bush to Set a Timetable for Withdrawal. In November 2005, XXXX voted against an amendment that would have required the President to report to Congress with a timetable for withdrawal and a plan, including dates, outlining a phased redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq. [Vote 322, 11/15/05; Fox News, “Fox Special Report with Brit Hume,” 11/15/05; Knight Ridder, 11/16/05] XXXX Voted for Nonbinding Resolution to Make 2006 a Year of Transition in Iraq. In November 2005, XXXX voted for a bipartisan, nonbinding resolution stating that 2006 “should be a period of significant transition to Iraqi sovereignty;” that U.S. forces should not remain in Iraq any longer than necessary; and that the Bush Administration needs to explain to Congress and the American public the strategy for the completion of the Iraq mission. [Vote 323, 11/15/05; “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” 11/15/05; Knight Ridder, 11/16/05] XXXX Voted Against A Measure to Transfer Control of Postwar Iraq from the Defense Department to the State Department. On October 2, 2003, XXXX voted for a motion to kill the Leahy, D-VT, amendment that would remove the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq from Defense Department control and place it under the jurisdiction of the State Department. The motion to table the amendment was agreed to 56-42. [S 1689, Vote 374, 10/2/03] XXXX Voted Against Requiring the President to Report to Congress on Strategy for Iraqi Reconstruction. On July 16, 2003, XXXX voted against requiring the president to submit a report to Congress on a strategy for Iraqi reconstruction, including plans for security and humanitarian assistance. The report would have to include schedules for seeking NATO participation and for seeking approval of a multilateral force from the U.N. Security Council. [HR 2658, Vote 283, 7/16/03] TROOP LEVELS AND BUSH SURGE XXXX Opposed Troop Deployment Limits. In September 2007, XXXX voted against Sen. Jim Webb’s bipartisan proposal to specify minimum periods between deployments of U.S. troops in Iraq. Specifically, the Webb amendment would have extended home stays for troops for periods at least as long as their last combat tours before they can be redeployed. XXXX backed the measure when it came up for a vote in July 2007. [Vote 341, 9/19/07; Washington Post, 9/19/07] XXXX Voted Against Troop Deployment Limits. In July 2007, XXXX voted against Jim Webb’s bipartisan proposal to extend the minimum period between deployments for troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Specifically, the Webb amendment would have required that active duty troops be given as much time at home as they served during their deployment. National Guard and Reserves would have been given home stays equal to three times their deployment period. [Vote 241, 7/11/07; Richmond Times Dispatch, 7/10/07] XXXX Voted For Necessary Troop Increase in Iraq. In June 2004, XXXX voted for amendment that would increase the authorized end strength for active-duty Army personnel by 20,000 soldiers in fiscal 2005. As amended, it would require the additional troops to be covered by the $25 billion authorized for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan or from another future supplemental appropriation. [S 2400, Vote 129, 6/17/04] Votes on the Surge XXXX Voted To Filibuster Iraq Debate. On February 5, 2007, XXXX led filibuster on several resolutions dealing with Bush’s planned Iraq war escalation. During the debate, McConnell admitted, “there are many members on my side who would argue that we shouldn’t be having this debate this week at all.” [Vote 43, 2/5/07; Washington Post, 2/6/07; Congressional Record, 2/5/07] 141