Cord Byrd: “This bill does not say that. This amendment does not say that. The Senator from Delaware, I say most respectfully, is…”

“This bill does not say that. This amendment does not say that. The Senator from Delaware, I say most respectfully, is leaving out one very important factor, that being the President of the United States, whoever he may be next October. The opponents of my amendment depend heavily upon the 'Commander in Chief.' Well, there will be a Commander in Chief at that time, and that Commander in Chief, unless he makes a case, unless he asks to be authorized to continue to deploy American ground troops after that date, and unless Congress then votes to authorize, then they would leave. But the Senator says, 'We are out unless we vote to stay in.' That is not the case. There is going to be a President there asking. I assume, if he believes we ought to continue to deploy troops after that date, he will be up here asking. He will be requesting them. And then Congress will vote to authorize or not to authorize. It is not that simple, 'We are out unless we vote to stay in.'”