Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) said that Gates’ estimate is “more honest” than the White House’s request for the $70 billion bridge fund. “It still falls short of what they’ve requested in the past, but I guess they’re going to make baby steps toward honesty.”
Besides Menendez, senators from both parties at the hearing complimented Gates on his candor.
“A lot of people would like to believe that he knows it’s going to be more but he’s getting the foot in the door,” Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) told The Hill. “I don’t think that’s right. I think he’s being honest. He might be wrong, but he’s being honest… It’s a moving target over there in Iraq. We don’t really know what our needs will be.”
While war funding is bound to renew the fight between congressional Democrats and the White House over Iraq policy, tension has already been brimming over a security agreement between the White House and Iraq’s leaders.
Lawmakers want to see the so-called status of forces agreement, due for a White House signature in July, brought to Congress for approval before it is enacted.
Levin said that Bush made guarantees of security protection in a declaration of principles he signed with Iraqi President Nouri al-Maliki. The agreement, as a follow-up to that declaration, rises to the level of a treaty and therefore requires Senate ratification, he said.
Gates disagreed, saying that administration officials “certainly do not consider the declaration of principles a security commitment.”
Senate ratification would depend on the content of the agreement, he added.
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) urged Gates to postpone the signing of the agreement until the next administration.
“Congress, I believe, must have the opportunity to approve or disapprove any security commitment, agreement or assurance, pledge or guarantee, regardless of what it is called, that affects our troops and our national security,” he said.
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) introduced a bill that would bar funding to carry out any agreement involving “commitments or risks affecting the nation as a whole” that is not approved by two-thirds of the Senate. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced a similar measure in the House.
Debate over the Iraq war is going to heat up in April when the top U.S. commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, is expected to make new recommendations on Iraq strategy. The administration has argued that it will not formally submit the entire supplemental request for next year until the next update from Petraeus.
President Bush has announced his intention to withdraw five of the 20 combat brigades from Iraq by July, representing more than 20,000 troops, and bring the U.S. military presence there back to about 130,000 troops. But Petraeus is expected to recommend a pause in withdrawals following the initial reduction and evaluate whether the military gains are sustainable.
J. Taylor Rushing contributed to this article.
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