Senate leaders agree on Iraq placeholder bill

The details of whatever Iraq supplemental bill the Congress eventually passes will be worked out in conference, with those test cloture votes tomorrow on two proposals intended to shape that discussion:

“On Thursday, the Senate will vote on a resolution that expresses our continuing support for our troops and will serve as a bipartisan vehicle that will allow us to move to conference. The details of the final emergency supplemental bill will be negotiated in the House-Senate conference. It is imperative that we get to conference as quickly as possible, which this resolution allows us to do.

The American people deserve to know that Democrats will remain committed in conference to the goals of fully funding our troops and changing course in Iraq. That is why we will also have two additional Iraq votes on Wednesday, separate from the supplemental. Those measures, authored by Senators Levin and Feingold, are important to our overall debate. They will provide strong guidance to our conferees and help shape the conference negotiations we have ahead of us.”

Both Reid and Speaker Pelosi also said they would work through the Memorial Day recess to get a bill ready for President Bush.