While the Senate has been debating this week what the U.S. role in Iraq should be, at least eight Republican lawmakers have said they would support at least one of the amendments the Senate has drafted to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq in the next 120 days.
Lamar Alexander, Republican Senator from Tennessee, is among those calling for change now and willing to support the amendments. He is co-sponsoring legislation along with Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar, a Democrat, based on the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group.
The White House is urging GOP senators to wait until September when Gen. David Petraeus, who is commanding the war in Iraq, reports on the troop surge.
But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is opposed to such a compromise: "Waiting until September is not the answer. Holding out hope — blind hope, blind trust — that progress will appear out of thin air for reasons no one is really able to articulate is not the answer."
Sen. Alexander spoke with Renee Montagne.
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