WASHINGTON—Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar said Wednesday he still hopes his proposal calling for a mission change for U.S. troops in Iraq will get a Senate vote.
But for now, his amendment to embrace the findings of the Iraq Study Group is not one of the measures senators will consider as they begin debating proposals challenging President Bush on the Iraq war.
Salazar, a Democrat, said he is suggesting changes in his proposal in hopes of picking up support from his party and Republicans. The biggest change would require that U.S. troops stop serving in combat and focus on training and equipping Iraqis.
He doesn’t know whether the amendment will get a vote soon, however.
Salazar and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., offered the Iraq Study Group proposal as a moderate, bipartisan solution to the Iraq war debate.
The independent Iraq Study Group urged Bush to hand off the combat mission to the Iraqis and step up diplomatic efforts, paving the way for a 2008 drawdown of U.S. troops.
Salazar’s bill does not set a troop withdrawal date, which most of his Republican co-sponsors likely would oppose.
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., had indicated that he would be open to legislation that would attract Republican support. But he abruptly changed his strategy this week, saying he would call for a vote this month on several anti-war proposals. One would insist Bush end combat in Iraq by next summer.
Reid criticized Salazar’s amendment for not requiring the president or any defense officials to take mandatory action. “It doesn’t do anything,” he said.
Colorado’s Republican Sen. Wayne Allard says he wants to try Bush’s strategy of withdrawing some troops this year and deciding further steps later.
