PLP 07 Witnesses Warner Signing

Senator John Warner signs the Warner/Lugar amendment, July 13. (Sorensen class member Dr. Dan Carey is in the background.)

This past weekend the Political Leaders Program Class of 2007 traveled to D.C. and Northern Virginia. On Friday members of the class enjoyed sit-down conversations with both Senator Warner and Senator Webb.

While chatting with Senator Warner, members of his staff rushed in and put a document in front of him for his signature. This just happened to be the Warner/Lugar amendment, which reportedly calls on President Bush to revise his Iraq strategy by the fall, to redeploy troops out of Iraq, and to instruct Congress to revisit the authority it gave the President to go to war.

As he signed his name to the amendment Senator Warner told the Sorensen class, "You're witnessing an historic moment here."

Later that same day, Senator Warner released this statement about the amendment.

On Sunday, two days later, President Bush rejected Senator Warner and Senator Lugar's appeal. "I don't think Congress ought to be running the war," the President said recently.

Senator Webb was a guest on NBC's Meet the Press yesterday, at which this amendment was discussed. Click here for the video.

Senator Warner discussed the proposal as well on ABC's This Week.

A full copy of the historic Warner/Lugar amendment (including Senator Warner's signature across the front) is attached to this post.