WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Senate on Wednesday voted to continue debating a resolution to withdraw American forces in Iraq by the end of next March.
By an 89-9 vote, the Senate cut off a filibuster aimed at avoiding a vote on the resolution itself, according to congressional voting records.
The White House immediately threatened a veto of any resolution dictating a troop withdrawal.
However, the lopsided tally did not necessarily portend an eventual vote to withdraw the troops.
Many of the senators who voted to cut off debate on the resolution plan to vote against it. They said they hoped the vote would clarify Congress' position on the war.
"I think this debate ought to take place," said Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican from Kansas, adding that he would vote against the resolution to withdraw the troops.
Anti-awar activists in the House have taken a different tack.
On Thursday, the House Appropriations Committee will consider attaching to a war spending bill a Democratic-sponsored provision that will cut off funds for the war in Iraq no later than the end of August.
In deference to the House, the Senate decided not to use the war spending bill as the vehicle for expressing itself on the continuation of the war.
Instead, it will legislate on the spending bill only when the House passes such a measure.
The leading proposals in both the Senate and the House would bring home the troops in Iraq and leave only a skeleton force to protect diplomats, undertake counter terrorism missions and train Iraqi government troops.
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