On Tuesday, West Michigan area Representative Vern Ehlers voted in support of H.R. 3087 a bill that calls on the Secretary of Defense and other high-ranking military officials to submit reports to Congress on the "status of planning for redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq." The bill--which passed by a vote of 377-46--makes it clear that it is not recommending "redeployment" as a strategy, with the bill stating that "nothing in this Act shall be construed as a recommendation by Congress that any particular contingency plan be exercised." However, it does express that it is "the sense of Congress" that the Secretary of Defense should begin envisioning "redeployment" strategies that would consider a variety of scenarios and goals including maintaining a capability to conduct counterterrorism operations, protect US interests, and support and equip Iraqi forces.
The bill requires that within sixty days of enactment that the Secretary of Defense submit a report to congressional military committees on the status of planning a "redeployment" with additional reports provided every ninety days after the initial report. Additionally, within fourteen days of the first report, the Secretary of Defense is required to brief congressional military committees with other military officials taking over that duty following the initial report. These reporting requirements would remain until "the date on which the Secretary of Defense submits to the congressional defense committees a certification in writing that the Armed Forces are no longer primarily engaged in a combat mission in Iraq."
