Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) is the only member of the Senate to have lost a relative in the Iraq War. His nephew, Marine Cpl. Philip E. Baucus, was killed in Al Anbar province last year. He was just 28 years old.
Senator Baucus is in Iraq this weekend, along with Senators Ken Salazar (D-CO), Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME). It is Senator Baucus's first trip to Iraq. He has requested a meeting with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki (who, by the way, "has refused to meet with visiting members of the U.S. Congress for a month"). The delegation has already met with Iraq President Jalal Talabani. Here are some of Senator Baucus's comments:
"I and others repeatedly made it clear to the [Iraqi] leadership that they’ve got to do a lot more than they are doing now," said Baucus, who is on his first visit to Iraq. "They need a bigger nudge. They could stand a greater dose of reality to move them."
He added, "The clock is ticking as far as I’m concerned."
Based on what he has seen, Baucus said he doesn’t believe President Bush’s "surge," or increase in American troops in Iraq, has worked. In January 2007, Bush announced he was sending 20,000 more troops to Iraq. As of last week, the United States had 168,000 troops in Iraq, the most ever.
"It was supposed to give breathing room for the Iraqi government," Baucus said. "It did not work."
Baucus said it wasn’t at all clear to him that maintaining the same U.S. troop level "will result in its desired effect."
"Our troops are getting thin with the desired rotation," he said, adding, "The army is getting very strained."
Senator Baucus co-sponsored and voted for S.J. Res 9 back in March, which was a non-binding resolution requiring redeployment within 120, with a goal of completing redeployment (with limited exceptions) by March 31, 2008 (The bill failed to pass).
Less than two months later, he voted against Reid-Feingold, which required that redeployment begin within 120 days, and which contained the firm requirement that no funds be used "to continue the deployment in Iraq of members of the United States Armed Forces after March 31, 2008."
A revised version of Reid-Feingold will again be introduced in the Senate, and Senator Baucus will get a chance to vote on that "bigger nudge" he says is necessary.
Call Senator Baucus and explain to him that it is the will of the majority of Americans that a firm timeline be set for withdrawal.
Contact Senator Baucus:
- The toll-free switchboard number is 888-355-3588.
- The direct number for Senator Baucus is 202) 224-2651 (leave a voicemail today, call back tomorrow).
- You can also email Senator Baucus here.