MoveOn Backs Kennedy’s Call to Block Troop Escalation

ABC News’ Teddy Davis Reports: MoveOn.org, a liberal advocacy organization, announced this morning that they are backing a bill by Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., to prohibit the Bush Administration from using federal funds to increase U.S. troops in Iraq beyond the levels there on Jan. 1 of this year without specific congressional approval.

"Senator Kennedy is providing the leadership on Iraq that the American people asked for in November," said Tom Matzzie, MoveOn’s Washington Director.

In an interview with the Boston Globe’s Scot Lehigh which appeared in today’s newspaper, Kennedy said Congress has to act now "because if lawmakers wait, they could be put in the position of voting to cut off funding for additional troops after the administration has already sent them to Iraq — a difficult vote for any elected official to take."

"If that happens, ‘they will have effectively won the day,’ Kennedy said. ‘They will have gotten what they are looking for.’ Thus Kennedy says he will press for a vote on his legislation at the earliest possible time."