Last night and earlier today, the United States Senate and House of Representatives voted on a supplemental Iraq funding bill that requires President George W. Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq by October 1, 2007. The bill passed by a margin of 218-208 in the House and 51-46 in the Senate. Michigan legislators voted along party lines, with Senate Democrats Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow voting for the measure and West Michigan Republicans Vern Ehlers and Pete Hoekstra voting against it. The bill will likely be vetoed by President Bush and the Democrats are expected to lack the votes necessary to override a veto, making it unclear what type of bill will ultimately be passed.

While the bill has been cast by the Bush administration, their Republican allies, and much of the media as a "withdrawal" bill, in reality, the bill does little to end the occupation of Iraq. It requires troop withdrawals to begin by October 1, 2007, but the April 1, 2008 date for a "complete" withdrawal is nonbinding. The bill also contains several large loopholes that will allow military operations to continue past the withdrawal date. It allows for "targeted special actions limited in duration and scope to killing or capturing members of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations of global reach," in addition to permitting United States soldiers to re-enter Iraq to protect soldiers remaining behind and to train Iraqi forces.

As of press time, only Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow had issued a statement on the bill, stating that:

Today, the U.S. Senate passed a supplemental appropriations bill that provides our troops with the funding and resources they need on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, and sets a timetable to bring them home safely and responsibly. The bill also provides emergency funding for critical needs here at home, including veterans health care and rebuilding communities destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. I am hopeful the President will do the right thing and sign this bill into law.