Meanwhile on Capitol Hill, the House opened debate Tuesday on its version of the nonbinding measure opposing President Bush’s plan to escalate the Iraq War. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led Democratic voices supporting the measure.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: “No more blank checks for President Bush on Iraq. Our taxpayer dollars must go to protect our troops, to keep our promises to our veterans and to keep America safe. In light of the facts, President Bush’s escalation proposal will not make America safer, will not make our military stronger and will not make the region more stable, and it will not have my support.”

A similar measure was held up in the Senate last week when Republicans blocked further debate. Democrats enjoy a wider majority in the House and expect to pass the measure on Friday. Across the aisle, Republican Minority Whip Roy Blunt criticized the Democratic proposal.

Minority Whip Roy Blunt: “It’s hard to imagine a group less capable of making tactical decisions about specific troop deployment than 535 members of Congress. The resolution today is about the exact number of troops. Will the one tomorrow be a vote about which block in Baghdad to target or which car to stop?”