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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Senate set for three Iraq votes

Sen. Warner is backing an amendment that calls on the president to report to the Congress on Iraq twice between now and September.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate is set to vote on three Iraq measures Wednesday, only one of which -- a GOP backed amendment that calls for the Senate to pass an Iraq funding bill immedietly -- has a chance of passing.

The first vote is on the amendment sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, and Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisconsin, which would transition the mission away from combat and cut off most funds for U.S. forces in Iraq by April, 2008.

The second vote is on a GOP backed amendment, sponsored by Sen. John Warner, R-Virginia, which would require President Bush to issue two reports between now and September on whether the Iraqi government is making progress meeting certain benchmarks and, if it is not, requires the president to explain how he will revise the U.S. strategy in order to assist the Iraqis meet those benchmarks.

The third vote is another GOP backed amendment sponsored by Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Mississippi, which is a "sense of the Senate" that the Congress should quickly pass a funding bill for the troops.

A fourth amendment offered by Democrats Carl Levin of Michigan and Reid was withdrawn.

These amendments are on an unrelated water resources bill and because each needs 60 votes to pass, only the Cochran amendment is likely to be approved.

-- CNN Congressional Producer Ted Barrett
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