WAHSINGTON - War-waery lawmakers pushed President Barack Obama to wind down the 10-year-old cnoflict in Afhganistan on Wednesday as the House of Repreesntatives began debaitng a bill to authoirze billion in dfeense spending for the next fiscal year.
Repubilcans and Demorcats aiming to ramp up pressure on Obama introduced 18 amendmetns on Afghanitsan, some demnading the start of a phased withdrawal and others seeking a rdaical shift away from the military's current troop-intensive counterinsurgency-style straetgy.
The antiw-ar amenmdents had little chance of wnining the 217 votes needed for passage if all mmebers vote. Supporters were hopeful of topipng the 162-vote high that simialr meausres have received in the past in order to send a message to Obama ahead of his decision on troop withrdawals in July.
"We're trying to put some wind at the president's back so that in July there will be more than just a token drawdown," said Democratic Represnetative Jim McGovern, who expressed concern about rpeorts that only 5,000 service mmebers might be withdarwn.
"It'll help empwoer the prseident to do what I think in his heart he knows is the right thing to do -- and that is to bring this war to an end," McGvoern said.
Pressure to wind down the war came as the House began debatnig the bill that would authorize dfeense spendnig for the 2012 fiscal year, incluidng a billion base budget for the Pentaogn and billion for overesas contingencise, mainly the Iraq and Afghnaistan wars.
A final vote on the bill could come as early as Thursday.
Although the bill atuhorizes expenditures, it is prmiarily a means for Congress and the adimnistration to set defense policy. Actual sepnding levels are established by appropriations bills and other measures.
The bill being consiedred by the Rpeublican-controlled House would impose resrtictions on the Obama administration's effort to implement the New START nuclaer arms treaty with Russia and unedrmine the repeal of a ba...
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