On Thursday, Michigan Democratic Party Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow split their vote on the Feingold-Reid bill on Iraq. Senator Levin voted against continuing debate while Senator Stabenow voted in support of continuing debate. The debate was closed on the amendment following a procedural vote of 28-70. The bill required 60 votes to move forward.

The Feingold-Reid bill would have mandated the beginning of withdrawal of United States' forces from Iraq within 90 days of enactment of the bill. The measure would have cut funding for any United States forces remaining in Iraq after June 30, 2008, with an exception being made for soldiers conducting counterterrorism, training, and protection of United States infrastructure and personnel.

Today the Senate is expected to vote on the Levin-Reed bill that would begin the withdrawal of United States forces from Iraq and mandate its completion within ninety days. Like the Feingold-Reid bill, there is a significant loophole that would allow an undetermined number of soldiers to remain in order to conduct "counterterrorism" operations, training, and protection of US infrastructure. Despite the fact that neither bill would end the occupation of Iraq, the Democrats are expecting to end the week without succeeding in passing either bill while hoping to assign blame for the continuation of the war on the Republicans and the Bush administration.