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Politics & ReligionWell Since every damn forum has one. Might as well leave it out there. This place is loosely moderated and should not be entered if you're weak of heart.
FOXNEWS.COM HOME > POLITICS
House Votes to Withdraw U.S. Troops From Iraq by Fall 2008
Friday, March 23, 2007
WASHINGTON — House Democrats called for a new direction in Iraq Friday, passing a measure that would order President Bush to withdraw U.S. combat troops from the country by September 2008.
Democrats won passage by a 218-212 vote on the $124 billion war spending bill, which will fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bush has promised to veto the measure.
“Today, this Congress faces a historic vote. A vote to truly change the direction of the Iraqi conflict,” said Rep. Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., just before the vote.
Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, also called the vote "historic," urging colleagues to vote against the measure.
"Our troops are on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, doing their duty to protect freedom and to end tyranny," House Minority Leader Boehner said. "They're there watching this debate we're having in the House today and wondering, 'Will Congress do its duty? Will Congress stand up and support he mission that I'm in?' "
The vote puts Congress closer to a showdown with the White House over Bush's Iraq policy.
Bush will veto the bill, White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters at Friday's briefing.
"Look, the president's going to veto this bill, and he's going to veto it because even though it provides some funding, it also puts handcuffs on generals, colonels, lieutenant colonels, majors, captains, lieutenants, sergeants, corporals, privates, and everybody else," Snow said.
Most Republicans opposed the Democrats' plan, which also included budget requests not related to war spending.
"What we got instead was a poorly assembled wish list of non-emergency spending requests, wrapped in a date-certain declaration of defeat — a confirmation to our enemies that, if they hang on just a bit longer, we'll be out of their way soon," said Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Mo.
Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., told fellow lawmakers a vote against the bill would be a vote against funding for the troops, health care and military families.
“You’re voting against supporting the troops if you’re voting against the money that goes to the troops,” Murtha said.
Bush urged Congress to approve the bill without a timeline during a meeting Thursday with his Iraqi civilian reconstruction team.
"The Congress owes you the money you need to do the job, without any strings attached," he said. "Congress needs to get their business done quickly, get the monies we've requested funded and let our folks on the ground do the job."
Defense Secretary Robert Gates warned that if Congress fails to pass a measure funding the war efforts by April 15, it will slow down training of troops scheduled for future deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Gates says it would also delay repair of equipment.
Meanwhile, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday approved a $121 billion version of Bush's emergency war spending request, but bucked the White House by putting in language that sets a date-specific timeframe for withdrawing troops from Iraq.
The Senate bill sets a March 31, 2008, goal for withdrawing all combat troops out of Iraq. The legislation, which also gobs on billions in special projects at home, now heads to the Senate floor for a vote by the full chamber.
"I think the only way we can succeed in Iraq is by fundamentally changing the dynamic," said Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, who chairs the subcommittee that oversees military funding.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's measure to set a timeline for the withdrawal of troops failed last week by a 50-48 vote.
The House measure is unlikely to get through the Senate unchanged, where many Democrats oppose a timetable on the war.
FOX News' Kelly Wright and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by psudy
21 billion in non war, non emergency pork. I would like to see what it is as well.
Nothing but bribes to get votes for this bill. Honestly, that's all it is - probably useless funding that could easily solve some other obvious problem.
Does anybody know the bill's name?
Of course, none of the major news outlets tell you this, because they don't want you reading it and getting the real story.
Actually, you ought to do a little more reading. In many cases it was cover for legislators from conservative districts who wanted to vote for the resolution but were afraid of the backlash.
Again, small price to pay if it saves a few lives.
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I agree with Jim.
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I don't see this passing through the whitehouse.......
Wasn't Nancy going to put an end to earmarks?.....
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"I cannot undertake to lay my finger
on that article of the Constitution
which granted a right to Congress of expending,
on the objects of benevolence,
the money of their constituents."
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"When government undertakes to solve man's problem for him it undertakes the mastery of society and it cannot be both master and servant."E.C. Riegel
Isn't Congress supposed to honor the Constitution?
.
. I'd like to see someone up there aware of the constitution.
__________________
"I cannot undertake to lay my finger
on that article of the Constitution
which granted a right to Congress of expending,
on the objects of benevolence,
the money of their constituents."
James Madison
Father of the Constitution for the USA, 4th US President
"When government undertakes to solve man's problem for him it undertakes the mastery of society and it cannot be both master and servant."E.C. Riegel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ershank
Not supporting the troops? Who the fuck cares about their feelings? I'm sure more than enough would like to get out of that shithole anyway.
I'm tired of this support the troops bullshit.
I'm getting tired of it too.
I support our troops 100%, but I don't think that means that I have to support this war.
Do I want troops injured and hurt and killed?? No
Do I want troops pulled out of Iraq?? Yes
So yes, I support the troops, but this war is getting old.
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I support our troops 100%, but I don't think that means that I have to support this war.
Do I want troops injured and hurt and killed?? No
Do I want troops pulled out of Iraq?? Yes
So yes, I support the troops, but this war is getting old.
Frankly, this is a very complicated issue. Many of these volunteers are brainwashed and many are simply misinformed. Many are now also traumatized. The icing on this cake is the Administration's continued attempts to chickenshit-hide behind the troops.
If Vietnam is any example, it'll take half a dozen years or so for most all service people to understand and respect your point. Till then, a lot of them will be angry at you.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jim schmidt
Frankly, this is a very complicated issue.
i agree that this is a complicated issue. i think what needs to be done, at the very least, is a strong, well spoken, articulate person needs to take the lead and stop hiding behind politics, stop playing the blame game, and point out the reasons why we are still in iraq and what benefits we, and the world, are gaining for us being there.
if there are no benefits of us being there, and no real justification for us still being there with the amount of troops this government s recommending, then the govt. should recognize this and accept it, set a plan for withdraw and ensure the iraqi people know that they have to step up, take charge of their lives now and take initiative to get their country back in order.
i, for one, am tired of hearing the same rhetoric from the same people b/c there seems to be no end-in-sight to this war and that no one really has any idea of a strategy of getting our troops home and it seems no one involved in planning this war is willing to acknowledge that there was not a plan and that there isn't a plan currently.
one major problem is i do not believe there is such a person who is willing to stop playing the political game in order to get done what needs to get done concerning an end this war.
house votes to withdraw troops from iraq by sep 2008
