WASHINGTON - The chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee wants Congress to once again consider withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., is a leading critic of the Iraq war. He said his subcommittee would consider troop redeployments when the panel considers the second installment of the 2008 war supplemental by the end the month, The Hill reported Thursday.
After speaking at the Center of Strategic and International Studies, Murtha told reporters he would push for setting a goal date for troop withdrawals and mandating standards for troop readiness, the newspaper said.
"I think (legislation) will pass the House; whether it will pass the Senate I do not know," Murtha said.
To date, Senate Republicans have stymied Democratic attempts to get the 60 votes necessary to pass troop withdrawal measures.
Murtha said that he does not want to wait until the summer to consider the war funding supplemental bill.
"They need planning time," Murtha said of the Pentagon. "Let's give it to them early enough so that they don't have to screw around like they did last year."
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