Colorado Democratic Sen. Ken Salazar said Friday that Congress should not cut off funding for the war in Iraq while U.S. troops are still there, a stance that puts him at odds with his party’s leadership.
Salazar also criticized President Bush, saying he had worsened “the extreme partisan divide” on Iraq by questioning Democrats’ support for the troops.
Salazar, a first-term Democrat who often stakes out independent positions on major issues, released the text of a letter he sent to Bush and key Senate Democrats, which said, “I do not believe that we can or should cut funding for our troops in Iraq or Afghanistan while we anticipate that our troops will be in harm’s way.”
On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he wanted to cut off money for the Iraq war next year. Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Russ Feingold, D-Wis., agreed to co-sponsor Reid’s proposal.
The proposal would give Bush a year to remove troops from Iraq and would cut off funding for combat operations after March 31, 2008.
The Bush administration says setting deadlines would put troops at risk, and the president has said he would veto the measure.
In his letter, Salazar said Bush and Congress must find common ground on Iraq so they can also address other key issues, including energy security, homeland security and immigration reform.
He urged both sides to accept the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group. The group, led by former Secretary of State James Baker and former Democratic Rep. Lee Hamilton, issued a report in December suggesting combat troops could be pulled out of Iraq by early next year.
