Senators Could End the Iraq War This Spring

“On the campaign trail, Senator Clinton and Senator Obama have repeatedly said that they oppose the war in Iraq, and that if they were elected president, they would begin bringing our troops home,” added Nancy Lessin, co-founder of Military Families Speak Out, whose stepson served with the Marines in Iraq in 2003. “But the reality is that they have the power now to make this happen, and so far they have chosen not to use it.” Lessin explained, “President Bush can’t spend a dime in without the approval of Congress. Senators Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama could use the filibuster to stop the next war funding bill from passing the Senate – they would just need 40 colleagues to sustain this filibuster. If they are not willing to use the power they have now as U.S. Senators to end the war, what makes anyone think they will exercise bold leadership on January 20, 2009?