WASHINGTON — The Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday passed a nonbinding resolution that concludes "it is not in the national interest of the United States" to deepen U.S. military involvement in Iraq.
The measure, passed on a 12-9 vote, goes to the Senate floor for a vote before the full chamber, which is expected sometime next week.
Meanwhile, President George W. Bush got positive news today when the Senate Armed Services Committee approved his pick for command of U.S. forces in Iraq, Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, to go before the Senate Thursday for full approval that is expected. (Full story)
Petraeus would replace Gen. George Casey.
The resolution is the first attempt by the new Democratic-controlled Congress to check President Bush's authority to send more troops to Iraq. The measure was opposed by all the panel's Republicans except co-sponsor Sen. Chuck Hagel.
"We better be damn sure we know what we're doing, all of us, before we put 22,000 more Americans into that grinder," said Hagel, of Nebraska, before the vote.