US House taking up Iraq troop measure soon

Washington, Feb 7: The US House of Representatives will take up a resolution next week disapproving of President George W Bush's decision to add 21,500 American troops in Iraq, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said today.

Although the House had intended to follow the Senate's lead on the issue, Hoyer, a Maryland Democrat, said the House had decided not to wait any longer on the Senate to act after Senate Republicans blocked debate on a similar resolution in that chamber on Monday.

''The reason we're going ahead is not because we don't think the Senate will ever act, but we're not sure when the Senate is going to act,'' Hoyer told reporters.

''I think the resolution will clearly say we do not believe that the president's proposal of an escalation of 21,000 troops is the proper policy to be pursuing,'' Hoyer said. It was being drafted now, he said, and he expected a three day debate.

Although backers intend to pressure Bush to reverse strategy in an unpopular war, Bush has said he will not be swayed by such resolutions.

A similar resolution was halted in the Senate on Monday when nearly all Republicans voted against debate because they could not get amendments considered on their terms, including one forbidding Congress from cutting funding for US troops.

Reuters

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