Mike Levin: “this amendment represents a significant change in the course that we are on and so does the Republican amendment. The…”

“this amendment represents a significant change in the course that we are on and so does the Republican amendment. The title of both amendments is ``To clarify and recommend changes to the policy of the United States on Iraq. . . .'' That is the purpose of my amendment. It is a purpose which is retained in the Warner amendment. We lay out what those changes are. We agree on almost all of the changes, that ``2006 should be a period of significant transition,'' that there should be ``phased redeployment of United States forces.'' That is on page 2. That is not paragraph 7. They accept the idea that we should create the conditions for phased redeployment. They accept my idea and our idea that the United States ``should tell the leaders of all groups and political parties in Iraq that they need to make the compromises necessary'' for a broad-based political settlement. We need that political settlement. Our military leaders tell us, if there is any chance of a military victory, you have to have a political settlement. So we endorse paragraph 7. Senator Feingold read it. I have read it. We totally endorse it for what it says. It is not cut and run. It is not a statement that we are going to withdraw on a fixed date. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator's time has expired. Who yields time? The minority leader is recognized.”