Sen. Ken Salazar took a stand today on the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, calling for a phased redeployment.

A non-binding amendment, which Salazar co-sponsored with three other senators, calls on the Bush administration to begin withdrawing forces from Iraq by the end of this year and establish a timetable for the future. The measure was the subject of an intense debate on the Senate floor today.

Here is his full statement delivered on the Senate floor.

Sen. Wayne Allard disagreed. Here is his statement. Sen. John McCain also opposed Salazar’s amendment.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called the measure “a significant step on the road to disaster” in Iraq. If the Senate sets a deadline for U.S. involvement in Iraq, said McCain, “the only question will be the degree to which increased violence engulfs the country, and a civil war erupts.”

Sen. John Kerry will introduce an amendment this afternoon requiring full troop withdrawal by July 1, 2007. A Senate vote on the proposals is scheduled for tomorrow.