IRAQ -- KYL, McCAIN OBSTRUCT DEFENSE BILL, THEN DISHONESTLY BLAME REID FOR NOT FUNDING THE TROOPS:
Yesterday, after a marathon night of conservative obstructionism, the Senate, by a 52-47 vote, failed to garner the necessary 60 votes needed to end debate and proceed with the Levin-Reed amendment to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq. Following the vote, Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) pulled the entire Defense Authorization bill from consideration on the Senate floor, arguing that the legislation should not be considered until the Senate is prepared to offer a future course for Iraq.
Afterward, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Jon Kyl (R-AZ) raced to the television cameras to offer hyperbolic attacks against Reid, claiming that he had "placed the care of our wounded veterans in a lower priority than a debate over Iraq." "It's a very wreckless and irresponsible action because the troops depend upon the Defense Authorization bill passing," said Kyl. "The priorities of those who brought down this bill...clearly cannot be the welfare and benefit and arming and training of both of our active duty military and the medical care of our veterans," fumed McCain. Kyl and McCain's argument that Reid's maneuver will deny pay raises, equipment and medical care to American troops is false on its face, as the troops have all the funding they need at the moment. The bill being debated is for fiscal year 2008, which begins on Oct. 1. Funding for troops -- including emergency appropriations -- has already been earmarked through Sept. 30, 2007.
While McCain claims that Reid "brought down this bill," in fact, Reid only resorted to pulling the bill after McCain and other pro-war senators blustered and stalled, refusing to allow an up-down vote on the Levin-Reed amendment. In fact, in his floor speech yesterday, Reid specifically named McCain as one of "a handful of dedicated obstructionists" using procedural moves to block the vote.
From Progress Report, 7/19/2007
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