Dick Durbin: “those following the debate on the floor understand we are considering the supplemental appropriations bill that deals…”

“those following the debate on the floor understand we are considering the supplemental appropriations bill that deals with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the tsunami relief, and some other very important elements. I understand there are pending amendments and also an effort to reach an agreement about how future amendments will be offered. So even though I will not be offering an amendment at this time, I would like to say a few words about an amendment which I plan to offer as soon as an agreement is reached and to alert my colleagues and those following the debate what we are seeking to achieve. This amendment, which I am proud to cosponsor with Senator Kennedy and Senator Levin, relates to troop training in Iraq. I thank the chairman and ranking member for their hard work on the bill. I believe it is imperative we continue to support our troops and address other emergencies in the world, including the devastating tsunami that swept across the Pacific right after Christmas. We fully support our troops. We also want to see them come home. Training Iraqi troops to take the lead in Iraq is critical to our success in that country and to getting our service men and women back where they belong--with their families at home. Therefore, we are offering an amendment today to measure our progress toward that goal. In this bill, the Senate is appropriating $5.7 billion for the Iraqi Security Forces Fund.…”