The House of Representatives narrowly defeated, 215-204, an amendment today calling for a timeframe and completion date for the war in Afghanistan. A switch of six votes would have passed it.
Twenty-six Republicans, including Rep. Tom Petri of Wisconsin (pictured), joined 178 Democrats and voted in favor of the amendment by Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Walter Jones (R-NC).
The roll call showed six GOP freshmen voting yes, but neither Sean Duffy nor Reid Ribble, the two Wisconsin frosh, were among them. All Wisconsin Dems voted yes, and Paul Ryan, Jim Sensenbrenner, Duffy and Ribble voted no.
The amendment would also have mandated a plan for "negotiations leading to a political solution and reconciliation in Afghanistan"
it was introduced as an amendment to the defense appropriations act, which passed later in the day.
McGovern has already turned his defeated amendment into a stand-alone bill with several Republican cosponsors, so it could pass on its own later.
More House members than ever voted to end the war in Afghanistan. And for the first time, it received endorsements from some of the powerful people in Congress - including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and three Republilcan members of the House Armed Services Committee.