Why I Support the Iraq Redeployment Bill

This past July, I joined with Reps. Lynn Woolsey and Maxine Waters to write President Bush, making it clear that the only funding that we will vote for is funding to protect our troops and contractors and bring them home.

Since that time, 89 of our colleagues have signed on to our letter, bringing the total signers up to 92. And as Congress begins debate on the President's recent request for hundreds of billions more for the conflict in Iraq, our efforts are starting to show progress.

Tonight, the House of Representatives will be voting on h.r. 4156, the strongest Iraq bill to date. While far from perfect, this is the first legislation that has come to a vote on the floor that ties funding to the responsible redeployment of our troops, mandating that the President begin bringing our troops home within 30 days of being signed into law.

While I would of course prefer legislation that sets a firm deadline -- not a "goal" -- of December 2008 for completing the redeployment of our troops, I will be voting for h.r. 4156 because it represents a fundamental break with President Bush's failed status quo. By tying additional funding to a redeployment time line, we will be saying "No" once and for all to the blank-check policy that has fueled the engagement in Iraq for over four and a half years.

While we've passed binding legislation in the House several times this year, between the President's vetoes and his enablers in the Senate (insisting on a 60-vote threshold) we've been blocked from legislating redeployment thus far. But there is no reason why h.r. 4156 should fail in the Senate, and if the Republicans choose to obstruct this legislation then the President will have to do without his money.

In addition to mandating redeployment, h.r. 4156 would ban permanent military bases in Iraq and provide for a regional stability plan featuring comprehensive diplomatic, political, and economic strategies, policies of engagement that serve in stark contrast to the Bush Administration's refusal to work with Iraq's neighbors towards regional stability that all parties have an incentive to pursue.

Finally, the bill will also make clear that the Army Field Manual -- which bans all torture, including the abhorrent practice of waterboarding -- applies to all federal agencies and personnel, a clarification that sadly seems necessary given the reported actions of the Bush Administration.

We clearly still have a ways to go as we seek to end the engagement in Iraq, but the fundamental shift in our policy that h.r. 4156 represents overshadows its limitations. Tying additional funding to the responsible redeployment of our troops is a critical first step in ending the engagement of Iraq, which is why I will support this legislation when it comes to a vote later tonight.

If you'd like to email your Representative in Congress in advance of tonight's vote to support h.r. 4156, you can click here do so.

Comments

[hopeless277]

Dear Barbara,

Please refrain from voicing your opinion. We must unite behind the president if we are to win in Iraq. You don't want to be defeatocrat do you? You don't to be a terrorist lover, do you? Now go back to your seat quietly and no more disruptions to our work on behalf of Our President.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi

[NABNYC]

Sorry, but I think this is a ruse. In fact, I wouldn't even be surprised to see the Democrats and Republicans in Congress come together in some unified legislation to bring the troops home -- at some later date -- so they don't have to deal with it during the election.

After all, the Democrats supported these wars from the get-go, it seems they're all in support of starting a war against Iran, and have top presidential nominees all reciting the mantra that "The War Must Go On." For another 6 years minimum, I believe was the absurd position.

I'm sorry, I do not believe the Democrats will do anything to end the war in Iraq. That war will end when our military and our economy are too exhausted to continue. And I also believe the Democrats will loudly cheer, break out those flag lapel pins, as Bush announces the need to bomb Iran because of some more bs secret intelligence.

Sorry, Dems, you have shown yourselves to be as useless and corrupt as your Republican counterparts.

Want a different response? Vote to stop all funding now. Do something. Stop the compromises and game-playing. Take a stand.

[kittykonservative]

You have already failed to get this passed 40 times. Are you trying to lose on purpose? I wish our reps in Congress would actually DO SOMETHING CONSTRUCTIVE. This is why your approval ratings are lower than the Presidents. Geez you guys. You need to get a grip, a purpose, something other than trying to defeat Bush - which, by the way, you are not very good at.

[Canukistani]

I wonder how you and your colleagues can't realize that even if ALL of these bills about 'goals' and 'intentions' and 'objectives' that you have put forrward were passed and were not vetoed it would take about 15 years for them to have the effect that people want TODAY.

I don't think you should be saying this is a dramatic step forward when the effect wouldn't even be noticed if it wasn't pointed out to the fanfare of trumpets. Even if something comes of this and Bush doesn't veto it (not likely) baby steps just won't do.

This bill doesn't so much offer a 'fundamental break with President Bush's failed status quo' as a way to say you're doing something without having to do something. You people don't seem to be able to reduce war funding by $10 a month with a firm deadline attached, so don't talk about this is a fundamental break and a sign of great things to come. I think that by now most people can see that it's just noise.

[couragewins]

In the 2008 election people will vote for the person whom they see as strong. The Dems keep looking weak because they can't stand up to Bush. If they can't stand up to him how can they stand up to terrorist? I think this vote will prove the strength of the Dems to really show they can be strong and do the right thing for the troops. If they give in now I really believe they will lose in 2008. They need to verbalize and get their plan for a war on terror (not Iraq) out into the press.

[Chinampas]

People, we are in a war whether you like it or not. Regardless of how the war started, the US can't afford to abandon Iraq at this moment. A ruthless dictator has been removed, and it would be immoral to abandon the Iraqi people at this time. The surge has shown us that progress can be made in Iraq, and the Democrats know this. They will not pull the troops out of Iraq next year regardless of the pressure from the far left. The liberals are so focused on removing troops that they are not considering the future consequences for the Middle East. Look what happended when the US abandoned Afghanistan. The same will happen in Iraq if we allow the Far Left to dictate foreign policy.

[skepticfromschenectady]

Rep. Lee:
Bush WILL VETO this bill, duh! What ya gonna do then? CAVE again and look even weaker than before to the American people???? DON'T, I repeat, DON'T LET BUSH'S SPENDING BILLS OUT OF COMMITTEE, then the Iraq War will be defunded. Duh! No more hand-wringing mewlings about "We don't have the votes." Tell Nancy, Harry, Rahm, Steney, Diane, and Chuck to get a backbone, finally.

[Gipsytim]

Too little...too late!

The American people gave you a majority and a mandate which you have not fufilled. At this late hour is is obvious that the strategy of the Democratic Party is to lie, lie, and then lie some more. You have the votes, you have the support of the majority of the country, what is lacking is the will to do the right thing. That requires leadership and I don't see any leadership coming from the Democratic Party.

Excuses! All we get from the Democratic Party is excuses and no accountability at all! The Democratic Party will surrender again and continue to fund and illegal and immoral war. The morning after we will hear the same damnned excuses again!

Angry?

Hell, yes!!!

And it is me and other like me that the Democratics will face when you come asking for money and support. If a Democrat came to me today, I would probably slam the door in their face. The Democratic Party has done absolutely nothing of consequence! I don't know why Congresswoman Lee and the rest of the Pelosi Democrats even bother showing up to work at all. It isn't as if their prescence is going to make any difference.

[klosskid]

Why not simply keep a war funding bill off the House floor? No bill, no vote, no money. If the junior president from Texas wants another $200 billion to keep our kids in harm's way, he can hold a bake sale in the rose garden.

[Nonamnesiac]

You are a courageous woman, Congresswoman, but you have now joined those who have, from my perspective, a personal goal of killing or maiming some of my family members, some of whom have been deployed to the war zone and may have to go back, and some of whom may have to go for the first time. And you are willing to kill or maim them even though you KNOW their service in the war zone is a total waste of the lives and limbs of anyone killed or maimed from the perspective of U.S. national interests.

That's what it means when you fund these treasonous animals in their war -- fighting to the last drop of our families' blood for a symbolic gesture.

You should be ashamed of yourself, because you know better.

[ljsfolly]

The Dems don't have the votes and the repubs refuse to vote with the will of the people. Those of you out there that are republicans or independents need to vote and change them out of congress. All the bad mouthing the dems does not one bit of good as whatever they have tried gets knocked down by bush and the repubs. As long as they stand with him they don't stand with the american people. If you are angry be angry at those who blindly follow bush.

[Ravenlea]

Representative Lee,

I will post to you the same letter I have sent to my Senators, my representative, the members of the Judiciary Committee and anyone I can think of begging you to do what's right for my country. Impeach Cheney and Bush.

Dear Representative Lee,

I wish with my whole heart and every ounce of love I hold for my country
that the Democrats (and any Republicans who still have a conscience) would
impeach Bush and Cheney. I understand that many are running for president
and I understand that there is a fear of irritating the voters and I
understand that it's a time consuming process and would distract Congress
from other tasks. To be honest, you don't seem to be doing that well at
the other tasks so a good distraction that would actually accomplish
something good for the country might be just the ticket.

The main reason that this is so important to me is because I believe it's
the right thing to do. These men have committed crimes against my country
and against international law. They have opted out of the World Court, so
they can't be tried there. It is up to us as a nation to take
responsibility and hold them accountable for what they have done in our
name. Their crimes are not paper crimes. They are crimes that have led to
hundreds of thousands of deaths (and it looks like they aren't satisfied
to stop there). They are crimes against human decency in engaging in and
attempting to justify torture. The list goes on and on. What does it say
about us that we are unwilling to inconvenience ourselves to hold them
accountable? Nothing good.

I love my country. I want it back. Please help me get it. Move ahead with
HR333.

[Elliott32]

Barbara Lee speaks for me. Congresswoman Lee should be Speaker of the House.

[sanguine]

Four more of our soldiers died for the Bush Regime in Iraq in the past 24 hrs and numerous others were 'wounded'.
"Wounded" translated: Um..you don't really want to know, do you?
That's what I thought.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Many commenters below miss a crucial legislative tactical angle:

Bush has already promised to VETO this bill.

Congress does not have the votes to override.

Those who want the war brought to a speedy conclusion can do worse than crafting a bill that -- in their hubris -- Repukes either do not help pass, or Bush vetoes.

The REAL fight will be in the ensuing weeks. THEN we'll see it Rep Lee et al have the courage of their convictions. LAST time, the Dems did indeed cave; the troops need their funding, etc.

This bill would merely put the ball in El Busho's court.