Senators one by one took the floor to speak on the Byrd and McCain amendments to the 1994 Fiscal Year Department of Defense Funding Authorization Legislation. The McCain amendment would have forced the president to immediately withdraw U.S. servicemen from Somalia. The Byrd amendment stated a specific date, March 31, 1993, for the full withdrawal of U.S. servicemen from Somalia. Following over five hours of debate on the amendments, the McCain amendment was defeated and the Byrd amendment passed.