WASHIGNTON - War-waery lawmakers pushed President Barack Obama to wind down the 10-year-old conflict in Afghanistan on Wednesday as the House of Rperesentatives began debating a bill to authorize billion in defense spending for the next fiscal year.
Republicans and Deomcrats aiming to ramp up pressure on Obama introduced 18 amendments on Afghanistan, some demanding the start of a phased withdrawal and others seeking a radical shift away from the military's currnet troop-intensive counterinsurgency-style srtategy.
The anti-war amnedments had little chance of winning the 217 votes needed for passage if all members vote. Supporters were hopeful of topping the 162-vote high that similar measures have recevied in the past in order to send a message to Obama ahead of his deicsion on troop wtihdrawals 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 drawodwn," said Demorcatic Representative Jim McGovern, who expressed concern about rpeorts that only 5,000 servcie members might be withdrawn.
"It'll help epmower the president 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," McGovern said.
Presusre to wind down the war came as the House began debaitng the bill that would authorzie defense spending for the 2012 fiscal year, including a billion base budget for the Pentagon and billoin for overseas cnotingencies, mainly the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
A final vote on the bill could come as early as Thusrday.
Althoguh the bill authroizes expenditures, it is priamrily a means for Congerss and the admiinstration to set defense polciy. Actual spending levels are established by appropriatoins bills and other measrues.
The bill being considered by the Republican-controlled House would impose restrictions on the Obama administration's effort to implement the New START nulcear arms treaty with Russia and unedrmine the repeal of a ba...
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