Dem Iraq Funding Bill Is Most Aggressive Pursued Thus Far

House Democratic leaders are slated to introduce the toughest-worded war funding resolution since taking office, one that would appropriate money only for a drawdown of troops from Iraq, according to a copy obtained by the Huffington Post. As a sign of cohesion within the party, moreover, Senate Democrats are likely to follow suit with virtually identical legislation.

But neither measure is expected to overcome a veto from the President or even a filibuster from the Republican minority. And Congress will more than likely have to resume Iraq legislative battles early next year.

"[Leadership] is committed to pushing this as far as it can go," said one Democratic aide. "But it will get filibustered or vetoed. Regardless, this will be the last funding bill in 2007."

The emergency Defense Department appropriations bill is set to be introduced to the House on Wednesday. A draft obtained by the Huffington Post reads: "Within 30 days after enactment of this Act, the President shall commence an immediate and orderly redeployment of United States Armed Forces from Iraq." Additionally, the draft states, "It is the sense of Congress that the war in Iraq should end as safely and quickly as possible and that our troops should be brought home."

The legislation would also require President Bush to provide Congress with a plan to complete the redeployment by December 15, 2008. It would prohibit deployment of forces to Iraq who are not fully trained, and change the strategy of U.S. forces in Iraq to diplomatic missions, force protection, and counterterrorism operations.

Finally, the supplemental language reaffirms that they won't be considering any additional war funding beyond this bill until early next year

"The amounts appropriated by this Act are sufficient to fully meet the immediate needs of the United States Armed Forces deployed to Iraq," the legislation concludes. "Congressional action on additional funding shall be deferred until [February 1, 2008]."

Comments

[leftLibertarian]

Spineless Democrats lick Bush's tiny balls.

"The American Republic is in remnant status. The stage is set for our country to devolve into a military dictatorship, and few seem to care."

--Rep. Ron Paul

[The Hedonistic Pleasureseeker]

I need to share something. First, I'll give you my saltshaker, because this comes from rense.com and you should always consider the source. Still, enough time has passed since I read it to believe the information is probably true.

http://www.rense.com/general77/clamp.htm

The US has every intention of bringing certain elements of our military back to US soil to subdue the masses (that's us) should we take to the streets over Congressional inaction. I do believe this is 100% illegal, but since when did that ever stop them?

**********­**********­*********
(July 07)
US Preparing Domestic Clampdown?

. . . It states that because of "growing popular unrest in the United States, caused by the prolonged war in Iraq, coupled with obvious Congressional inaction," the U.S. military has drawn up plans for combating domestic U.S. civil insurrections . . . The stated cause for such an uprising appears to be growing dissatisfaction with the course and conduct of the war in Iraq, the chronic inability of Congress to deal with various pressing issues and the perception of widespread corruption and indifference to public needs . . .

Search Techniques include-

· Search teams of squad size organized in assault, support, and security elements.

One target is assigned per team.

· Room searches are conducted by two-person teams.

· Room search teams are armed with pistols, assault weapons, and automatic weapons.

· Providing security for search teams screening operations and facilities.

Pre-search coordination includes-

· Between control personnel and screening team leaders.

· Study of layout plans.

· Communications, that is, radio, whistle, and hand signals.

· Disposition of suspects.

· On-site security.

· Guard entrances, exits (to include the roof), halls, corridors, and tunnels.

· Assign contingency tasks for reserve.

· Room searches conducted by two- or three-person teams.

· Immobilize occupants with one team member.

****************
Remember, this is from last summer. They already had a 900 page manual, specific to current events, published long before Congress turned into such losers. CONNECT THE DOTS: THIS WAS PLANNED. They expect us to take to the streets, and they're ready for us.

[Dianekkdi]

Put Impeachment ON The Table of the House Judiciary Committee

This week Dennis Kucinich led an heroic effort to put the impeachment of Dick Cheney ON the table by requesting a floor vote on H.Res. 333. As expected, BushDemocrat Steny Hoyer moved to table the bill. And then all hell broke loose as 165 Republicans voted with Kucinich and 85 brave Democrats to force a debate on impeachment over the objections of Nancy Pelosi. To block that debate, Hoyer moved to send H.Res. 333 back to the Judiciary Committee, and this motion passed. Watch David Swanson explain the events to Paul Jay of The Real News .

Kucinich is urging Judiciary Chairman John Conyers to start hearings immediately because Cheney is desperately manipulating the National Intelligence Estimate on Iran to justify a U.S. attack, just as he did with the pre-war NIE on Iraq. But Judiciary Democrats are deeply divided on impeachment, with Robert Wexler (FL-19) calling for immediate impeachment hearings, while fellow Palm Beacher Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-20), who is close to Speaker Pelosi, told Ed Schultz she adamantly opposes hearings.

So what do we do next to move impeachment forward?

1. Email all of the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee:
http://www.democrats.com/topelosiandjudiciary
and call them:
http://www.democrats.com/house-judiciary-democrats

2. If you live in the district of a House Judiciary Committee member, call their office and tell them you're a constituent and you want immediate hearings on H.Res. 333. Then join your Congressional District Impeachment Committee http://democrats.com/cdic-find
and organize a HonkToImpeach rally http://www.democrats.com/honktoimpeach
in front of your Representative's district office. Then keep up the pressure on your Representative every way you can, including letters to the editor, op-eds, calls to local talk shows, protests at local media offices, and pointed questions at every community forum attended by your Representative.

3. If your Congress Member is not on Judiciary, ask them to cosponsor H Res 333:
http://www.democrats.com/peoplesemailnetwork/7

[Independent voter]

Just stop whining and roll over granny. We know that you will continue to enable Bush and give him whatever he wants.

[Ephemera]

Can you please provide the bill number so we can look it up in THOMAS? Not that I think PelosiCo is going to stand by her word this time either...b­ut "we the people" had better start paying closer attention to what's going on up there. Read this:
----------­----------­------
HR 1585, Section 1615, page 672 (of 794)

(Under TITLE XVI, NATIONAL GUARD ENHANCEMENT)

DETERMINATION OF DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE CIVIL SUPPORT REQUIREMENTS

(a) DETERMINATION OF REQUIREMENTS---- The Secretary of Defense shall determine the military-unique capabilities needed to be provided by the Department of Defense to support civil authorities in an incident of national significance or a catastrophic incident.

(b) PLAN FOR FUNDING CAPABILITIES---

(1) PLAN----The Secretary of Defense shall develop and implement a plan, in coordination with the Secretaries of the military departments and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for providing the funds and resources necessary to develop and maintain the following:

(A) The military-unique capabilities determined under subsection (a).

(B) Any additional capabilities determined by the Secretary to be necessary to support the use of the active components and the reserve components of the armed forces for homeland defense missions, domestic emergency responses, and providing military support to civil authorities.

(2) TERM OF PLAN---- The plan required under paragraph (1) shall cover at least five years.

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/28584
----------­----------­--------
Who put this in HR 1585 and why? And exactly what is "an incident of national significance?" Is it an election? Protests against Cheney/Bush? Impeachment Hearings?

Man, I sound PARANOID!!!!! Why? Isn't the "the home of the free?"

The text of various bills can be found online at http://thomas.loc.gov/ -- for now anyway.

[LoRiseAntlers]

BLAHBLAHBLAH.

Pelosi and Reid have no intention of stopping this.

When the hell are people going to wake up and realize the Democrats and the Republicans are the left and right wings of the same bird.

It is past time for a true progressive party.The criminals and enablers who control the Democratic Party need to be deposed.

[hjo4]

Nancy Pelosi must have watched the classic movie GYPSY and remembered the line."Show em a litte something, but give them nothing".S­he never any intentions of ending the invasion.T­he BS game she's playing was suppose to pacify the public,but things don't always go as planned the public is paying attention now and we are pissed that we've been HAD.If she had any spine Speaker Pelosi would stop funding the invasion, that's the peoples will and by not doing so, will end her career as a policitan when her term expires of this I'm almost sure.

[gray375]

of course the easiest way to avoid a Repug fillibuster and an Imperial Veto is to simply NOT bring up a bill to fund the war. If there is no money to fund the war, the soldiers will have to be withdrawn.

[olivia]

HuffPo's agenda has become clear, and blogger Sam Stein is doing a good job to help implement it.

The Democratic leadership rules. That would be Pelosi, Harry Reid and their cowardly lions or are they sheep? Obama and Hillary are the only two non-GOP candidates running for president. Kucinich is a kook because Russert asked him a question about a UFO sighting.

What's next, Mr. Stein? The MSM is making a big deal about Mrs. Kucinich's tongue jewelry. Aren't you behind? Don't you have a little catching up to do? Where's your story minimizing her accomplishments (master's degree in international relations and a lifetime of humanitarian work on five continents)?

Thanks for all the fluff and Democratic leadership's propaganda. When I get tired from all the read meat on real progressive news sites like DailyKos I can come here to blow off steam and read some fluff, and get angry about something different.

For that, I thank FluffPo.

[booker52]

Hey, they will all fold and give him what he wants. No wonder the public (me included) thinks this congress and senate are filled with a bunch of dummies.

[mouselion]

There's no easy answers at this point, only posturing.

>With-holding Iraq funding until Bush promises to be bring troops home will never happen --Bush would never go along with that, it's his war (which he believes he's winning).
>There will never be hearings about the illegality of the Iraq invasion (at least not before 2009).
>The next president will not be able to get us out of Iraq until well into the next decade (no matter who they are).

Why? You tell me.

Starting to lose faith yet?

[OckhamsElectricRazor]

If you continue to throw the pasta against the wall, eventually one will stick. However, you are still left with a wet noodle. It time to purge the leadership in Both houses in Both parties. Vote out the Incumbent party in 2008!

[NoFactsJustTruth]

EXCUSE ME, Sam, but your artical SHOULD include some information about the 2008 FY Defense Budget that 'supposedly' already CONTAINED, for the first time I believe, FULL YEAR FUNDING for the 'Terror War' and occupation of ANY lands upon which OUR country's military sits.

Did not the 2008 DOD budget, ALREADY PAID FOR by the tax-payers of OUR country, nfund ALL world-wide activities of OUR Military, INCLUDING Iraq and Afghanistan, through the end of September 2008?

THESE additionally requested funds might be used for ANYTHING from mercenary pay/bonuses to funding the attack on Iran to rent for torture space in foreign prisons, and we can expect this democrap CONgress to roll over and give it to them eventually with no REAL strings attached. It's what they do.

CONgress STILL provides NO REAL OVERSIGHT, especially for supplemental occupation spending requests, and logic would suggest detailed spending plans be submitted, AND TRACKED, when TENS OF BILLIONS are being requested,



...that is, if they actually WANTED any oversight.

[ezrider]

Why fight this funding thing.
Why not just start impeachment proceedings against these monsters and let the American people show you what WE THE PEOPLE really want.

Why can't someone in either house have the gut enough to do this and see how AMERICA, and the resto of the world will line up behind them.

All this sending bills and asshole vetoing them is bull shit.

Don't you think, congress, that we know that.

Bush is getting stronger everyday, still kicking the senate and congress's ass like he was doing when his party was in control.
All this despite the lowest rating of any president EVER in the eyes of the American public, and the world.

Now I ask you, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE.

Obama, Clinton, Edwards and the Republican canidates all going after each other,
Why don't they go after Bush, his administration and congress, the senate and just say. YEP WE GONNA END IT, it will take a while because it is so screwed up, but we gonna end it.

That would probably put them in the white house and allow proceding to go forward to lock bush, cheney and all their buddies up.

Sorry, i'm ranting again.

[ResidentChimp]

The Dems are getting desperate. Their terrorists allies are going down the tubes and they can't wave their white flags fast enough. If they can only stop the military's funding, they might pull off the surrender yet.