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Democrats Push New Iraq Withdrawal Bill
The Defense Department has said extending combat tours of troops would be a last resort.
Bush has not given any indication he is open to a dramatic shift or a major redeployment of troops after September. Instead, he has talked extensively about the need to remain engaged in Iraq to fight al-Qaida and has repeatedly appealed to lawmakers for more patience.
  A U.S. soldier and an Iraqi soldier stage in an alley during a joint operation with the 1920 Revolution Brigade in north Baqouba, 60 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Iraq, Wednesday, July 25, 2007. The raid netted 21 suspected al-Qaida members. (AP Photo) (AP) 
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For their part, top U.S. military officers also have indicated that the troop buildup initiated this year may be needed through next summer.
Also come September, Murtha said it is possible Democrats may not want to continue funding the war, or fund it in installments.
"We may decide in September we're not satisfied with what Gen. Petraeus says and we may hold it up," he said.
With Republicans unwilling to consider strong anti-war bills just yet, Democrats pushed other Iraq-related measures to show voters they are focused on trying to end the war.
The House voted 399-24 on Wednesday to pass a bill proposed by Lee that would ban permanent bases in Iraq. By week's end, the House Armed Services Committee planned to draft legislation for a vote next week that would insist troops be given sufficient time at home in- between combat tours.
Meanwhile, Iraq's ambassador to Washington, Samir Sumaidaie, told reporters Wednesday that he is making a case in Congress and elsewhere for extending the troop increase, despite the shifting political climate.
"Iraqi leaders are acutely aware of the political debate in Washington, that there is the possibility of a change in policy" and a reduction in U.S. troops, Sumaidaie said. "I think it is fair to say they are very concerned about that. Iraqi forces are not yet capable of holding the fort on their own."
The diplomat also complained that the United States has been slow to provide weapons and other equipment requested by Iraqi armed forces and police, and said the delay is at cross-purposes with the U.S. goal of making Iraqis responsible for their own security.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he has promised to work on getting the equipment moved to the Iraqis more quickly. Asked if the delay was due to Pentagon bureaucracy, Pace said no, adding that it had more to do with the recent increase in size of the Iraqi forces.
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