What's happening tonight in the Senate, and how you can participate

• Share This Post
• submit
• 3
• Sparkle (
  0
  )
   

Sorry, Dana, this isn't about Republican accusations. The majority of Americans want an end to the Iraq War, and the majority of votes should win. The politicking behind this is confusing, so I have tried to explain the rules and issues below. Please correct me and chime in if I've got the details wrong.

Tonight's Senate session could be a huge step in ending the Iraq War. The Levin-Reed amendment, for which Senators are preparing an all-nighter, would require Bush to start withdrawing troops from Iraq in 120 days, with most home by April 2008. Tonight Senate Democrats are bringing in the cots to debate the amendment all night long. Reid is demanding an up or down vote on the Amendment, but many Republicans will not allow for an up or down, simple majority vote, Reid says in an attempt to protect President Bush. This excerpt from the New York Times explains it well:

Because of shifting Republican sentiment, Democratic leaders are confident they have more than 50 votes for the troop withdrawal proposal, which requires only a simple majority vote. But to get to that vote they need to cut off debate, which will be hard to do because even some Republicans who have voiced new reservations about the war remain unwilling to vote for any provision that includes the withdrawal timeline opposed by the White House.

If the Democrats fall short, the withdrawal would be dead for now and Senate Democrats would probably move on to another plan on Iraq.

Democrats said they wanted to make sure voters understood why the withdrawal provision was not advancing, even though it appeared to have the backing of most senators.

“If this were a majority vote, the vote of the Senate would reflect the majority feeling of the American people,” said Senator Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat. “We would start bringing our troops home.”

Below, I list a timeline and actions you can take to participate. This is not about Senate Majority Leader Reid filibustering the Senate's vote to fund the troops. As Media Matters states, Reid's plan is to hold an all-night Senate debate prior to the July 18 cloture vote on a Democratic proposal to withdraw troops from Iraq...Rather, he is highlighting the Republicans' blocking of an up-or-down vote on the proposal; in other words, it is the Republicans who are filibustering the withdrawal proposal by requiring that 60 senators vote for the amendment in order for it to pass."

Tonight is full of activities for the "Iraq Summer." Veterans and elected officials alike will be on Capitol Hill.
** if you want to dial in to hear about events across the country email:

andy@iraqsummer.org

To watch video of events after 9:45 tonight-- email cammie@iraqcampaign.org or search "iraq summer" on youtube.com

Here's a timeline of what's happening tonight from Americans Against Escalation in Iraq:

Organizing Efforts Against Republican Attempt to Block a Safe End to the War

Don't get lost in the arcane rules of the Senate - here is the story: Republicans are blocking a safe end to the war and millions of Americans are standing up with military families and Democratic leaders to say enough. See below for events tonight . .

**live commentary video and photos on dailykos, bobgeiger.com, votevets.org, thinkprogress.org, americablog.com

**if you want to get detailed updates and video from events across the country and the events outside the senate - email cammie@iraqcampaign.org or search "iraq summer" on youtube.com

3:30 - Iraq veterans visit, Snowe, Collins, Voinovich and Lugar to call for a safe end to the war.

More on thinkprogress.org and Dailykos

*5 pm Around the country, Moveon.org AAEI and Iraq summer are calling on Republican members to stop obstructing an end to the war. 150 events planned. (As least 1 per Republican senator)

8:30 House members march to S219 to meet group of Senators at 8:40 and then will proceed to upper senate part for Candle Lite Call to Action. It has been reported that Pelosi will be there leading the March.

8:30 Call time Candle light call to action

9:00 Members of Congress from both House March to the Stage

9:45 Politics TV uploads and emails second batch of video- email cammie@iraqcampaign.org or search "iraq summer" on youtube.com

10:00 - Iraq and Afghanistan veterans will be filling the gallery and camping out all night

10:00 Iraq Summer field organizers dial-in to talk about events in the states

** if you want to dial in to hear about events across the