<DIV>Andreas,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>If Congress really wanted to end the war all they have to do is not fund it. It requires 60% in the Senate and majority vote in the House to continue to fund the operations. US House, which controls the purse strings, could end the war tomorrow by voting to cut it off. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>They instead are trying to shift the ending of the war to the Senate intentionally in a way that does not impact funding, which is harder to do politically, they know that. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>One or two senators could potentially block a bill in the Senate or at least slow it way down. It is difficult to pass legislation. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>When I was in the ASUI Senate, I use to slow down appointments to paid positions that were made to buddies of other elected officials. I wanted people that were best for the job, not someone getting a check because they helped their frat
buddy with campaigning. Today, appointments now have to go through a process that screens out individuals not qualified, but it was not that way when I was in, the victor went the spoils and ASUI paychecks.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>There is a whole host of motions and parliamentary procedures, filibustering, and other tactics a senator can use to slow down or disrupt legislation. Two senators can place huge road blocks in the way of legislation they really disagree with. If a committee chair can also wage more havoc as well. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Best,</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Donovan</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV><BR><BR><B><I>Andreas Schou <ophite@gmail.com></I></B> wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">On 7/21/07, Donovan Arnold <DONOVANJARNOLD2005@YAHOO.COM>wrote:<BR>> The reason the US Senate is stalling on the withdraw of
troops from Iraq is<BR>> because it knows two things;<BR>><BR>> 1) That the people that voted for them what an end to the war now and what<BR>> the troops back home.<BR>><BR>> and<BR>><BR>> 2) That if the US withdraws troops from Iraq it would have negative<BR>> repercussions and that it vital to US interests to keep troops there.<BR><BR>Donovan --<BR><BR>The US Senate is failing to end the war because a withdrawal requires<BR>a 60-vote majority to break a Republican filibuster (which they have<BR>done every time it has come to a vote) and a 66-vote majority to break<BR>a Bush veto threat. In the House of Representatives, where party unity<BR>and the number of defectors needed is higher, breaking a Bush veto is<BR>almost impossible, given the tiny Democratic majority.<BR><BR>Thus the Republicans hold us in an unwinnable morass for yet another year.<BR><BR>-- ACS<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><p> 
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