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House Democratic leaders admitted Tuesday that they do not currently have the votes among their own caucus to pass a $124 billion supplemental appropriations bill that calls for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by September 2008. But they say they will have a vote this week and expect to win. “If you’re asking if I have 218 votes at this minute who I know will vote for it, the answer is no,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.). Asked whether he might have to reschedule the vote for lack of support, Hoyer added, “I hope the answer is no, and I expect the answer is no.” In response to similar questions after Tuesday’s caucus meeting, House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said, “We’re closer to 218 than we were yesterday, and we’ll be closer tomorrow.” Democratic Conference Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.) said, “We’re going to have a vote this week.” But he added, “If we said here today we had 218 votes, we’d be wrong.” Emanuel said former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, who endorsed the Democrats’ supplemental plan today, will address the caucus tomorrow. |
