Snowe, Collins vow to debate Iraq

AUGUSTA – Maine’s two Republican senators say they are not giving up on bringing to the floor of the Senate a resolution that disapproves of President Bush’s decision to send additional combat troops to Iraq.

“No, I am not giving up on this,” Sen. Olympia Snowe said in a telephone interview. “This is just too important not to have the United States Senate on record.”

Both Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins broke ranks with their party over the weekend, voting for a procedural motion to kick off debate on a nonbinding resolution passed by the House last week that expresses support for the troops but criticizes Bush’s decision to increase the number of combat troops in Iraq.

“Iraq is the most pressing issue facing our nation,” Collins said in a telephone interview. “The American people want and deserve a full and open debate on the strategy the president has proposed.”

The Senate voted 56-34 to bring the nonbinding resolution to the floor, but under Senate rules, it takes 60 votes to clear the way for an actual vote on a measure.

The resolution was identical to a measure passed in the House on Friday with some Republican support. Both Maine congressmen are Democrats, and 1st District Rep. Tom Allen and 2nd District Rep. Michael Michaud both voted for the resolution, which passed 246-182.

“Congress and the American people will continue to support and protect the members of the United States Armed Forces who are serving or who have served bravely and honorably in Iraq,” the resolution states. “Congress disapproves of the decision of President George W. Bush announced on January 10, 2007, to deploy more than 20,000 additional United States combat troops to Iraq.”

Snowe and Collins said it is important for the public to know where their elected representatives stand on the issues related to the war in Iraq. They said the two House members are on record, but the only votes in the Senate have been procedural, not substantive.

“It once again demonstrates the inability of the Senate to move forward,” Snowe said. “It is inexplicable that the United States Senate cannot reach an agreement to debate and vote on this issue.”

Collins agreed and said if the two floor leaders can’t work out an agreement to allow debate and votes on a nonbinding resolution, it does not bode well for consideration of legislation that has the force of law or appropriates money for a program.

“The leaders on both sides need to work more cooperatively,” Collins said. “This is exactly the kind of stalemate and gridlock that disappoints the American people and caused a change in leadership in the last election.”

Snowe said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., need to work out an agreement to allow a “full and open” debate on Iraq policy. She said because of the Senate rules, the parties have to work together.

“They need to come to terms with the reality that there is a narrow margin in the United States Senate and there must be bipartisanship to address the issues of importance to this country,” Snowe said.

Snowe said the private discussions over the process centered on how many competing resolutions or amendments to resolutions would be offered. She said the Senate has a long history of allowing debate and discussion, and she fears that tradition is in jeopardy.

“Both leaders have a responsibility to find ways to break through the obstacles and develop a process for the Senate to debate and resolve these issues,” she said.

Even though Reid told reporters after Saturday’s vote that he does not plan to bring the measure before the Senate again, Collins said she has no doubt it will be back in the form of an amendment to another measure.

“It may well be on a bill that ironically is a bipartisan measure out of the Homeland Security Committee,” she said. “We still do things in a bipartisan manner.”

Collins is now the ranking GOP member of the panel, which is chaired by Democrat-turned-independent Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut. She said although they disagree on Iraq, they still work together and were able to craft a measure that further implements the recommendations of the Sept. 11 Commission.

“Our committee shows it still can be done,” she said, “but you have to work at it.”