Barbara Lee Calls for Fully Funded Withdrawal from Iraq, Enforceable Timelines as House Panel

[helderheid]

Barbara Lee Calls for Fully Funded Withdrawal from Iraq, Enforceable Timelines as House Panel Considers Emergency Iraq Spending Bill

March 15, 2007, Washington, DC

Invoking Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) called for a fully funded withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, criticizing funding for the Bush administration's escalation of the conflict in Iraq and the lack of enforceable timelines, during the House Appropriations Committee's markup of the proposed $124 billion emergency spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan. The following is her statement:

"When Dr. Martin Luther King Junior gave his speech 'Beyond Vietnam, A Time to Break Silence' at the Riverside Church in New York City in 1967, he said that 'a time comes when silence is betrayal.'

"He said 'Some of us who have already begun to break the silence of the night have found that the calling to speak is often a vocation of agony, but we must speak. We must speak with all the humility that is appropriate to our limited vision, but we must speak.'

"That is very much the position I find myself in today. What I have to say is not comfortable, yet I am compelled by my conscience to speak.

"As many of you know, this is my first time addressing the full Committee, and I am mindful of the fact that the matter we are considering today is perhaps the single most important issue facing Congress and our nation.


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http://pdamerica.org/articles/alliances/2007-03-15-19-29-03-alliances.php

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Why is MoveOn not talking about this bill??? If you are a MoveOn Member, take their poll and vote OPPOSE and ask them in the comments why they aren't talking about the Lee bill!

[bigtree]

1. kick

:kick:

[GreenPartyVoter]

3. And another k&r

[Tom Joad]

2. This is the only option that should be considered. It's this or NO on Supplemental!

[Raven]

6. See my other post here...

the nh rep I referred to also said that a no vote on the supplemental was tantamount to a vote to support the war. Go figure.

[bigtree]

8. Many of the members of the 'Out of Iraq' caucus who stood with Rep. Lee

when she presented this have already said they'll vote for the compromise spending legislation if this amendment is defeated.

[Tom Joad]

11. Puny oppostition determines that this war continues,in one form or another..

Frederick Douglass, former slave, extraordinary speaker and writer, wrote in his Rochester newspaper the North Star, January 21, 1848, of "the present disgraceful, cruel, and iniquitous war with our sister republic. Mexico seems a doomed victim to Anglo Saxon cupidity and love of dominion." Douglass was scornful of the unwillingness of opponents of the war to take real action (even the abolitionists kept paying their taxes):

The determination of our slaveholding President to prosecute the war, and the probability of his success in wringing from the people men and money to carry it on, is made evident, rather than doubtful, by the puny opposition arrayed against him. No politician of any considerable distinction or eminence seems willing to hazard his popularity with his party ... by an open and unqualified disapprobation of the war. None seem willing to take their stand for peace at all risks; and all seem willing that the war should be carried on, in some form or other.

[bigtree]

14. that's all fine, but it's a myth

that some eloquent speech or stance would bridge the different remedies from the body of 500 members, even if a majority agree with the goal of withdrawal. It used to be that a Speaker had the ability to intimidate members into party-line votes, but that kind of politics in the House went out with Tip O'Neill. Today the leadership is challenged with reconciling all of the different proposals and fashioning a bill which has the widest amount of support to pass the House.

All of the rhetoric about taking risks ignores the political realities of the balance of power in both bodies. All of the flowing rhetoric and self-righteous scorn against those whose strategy we disagree with will not move recalcitrant members or attract the support we need to get SOMETHING binding out of at least one house.

[Tom Joad]

16. All they have to do is keep on rejecting the supplemental until Bush caves in.

Bush is the one who must compromise. Because until the supplemental is passed, the war is defunded.

[bigtree]

17. they would eventually expect him to change it to reflect a withdrawal, right?

That's what they have done with his original request. They've changed it to reflect their withdrawal strategy. The occupation is effectively 'defunded' before or after the final date in the legislation.

In addition, they've provided for the deficiencies that so many are complaining about. Remember, even the Lee proposal provides funds to effect the withdrawal she envisioned.

[Raven]

4. I think her amendment is dead, unfortunately.

We've been pushing our two new reps up here in nh to support the Lee amendment. Today I got an emailed statement from one of them saying that she (the rep)was going to support the pelosi version, that she had "done all she could" but that conservative dems were standing in the way and getting something with a deadline passed was better than nothing. Very disappointing.

[helderheid]

5. It's insane. Bush will veto any bill the Dems come up with - why would they play this game and not

let her ammendment get to the floor?

[Raven]

9. I don't know and it is very difficult to find out

what's going on...Barbara Lee's website has more information than most. The two reps up here have virtually nothing to explain what they think they're doing.

[bigtree]

13. It'll come to the floor I think (*or will amendments be allowed?)

these types of amendments which come to the floor separate from the standing legislation are usually doomed. If they had enough support the provisions would be in the standing bill. As it is, her amendment would undo the compromise bill so I don't think it will get the support she needs. It's good to see a progressive alternative, though.

You know, of course, that Pelosi's legislation faces a tough fight to pass as it is, even with Democratic support with a simple majority.

[helderheid]

7. More on Move On

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=446923&mesg_id=446923

[marmar]

10. To say that Barbara Lee rocks....

Is to say that water quenches thirst. :yourock:

[verse18]

12. Thanks for the information, helderheid.

I got that email from MoveOn.org this morning and now I know how to respond.

[helderheid]

18. They couldn't have been more vague in that email.

:hi:

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. Another kick.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Hmm hold it, you mean a Democrat is doing something?

:sarcasm:

Given some of the posts here, you'd think this is not true.

[helderheid]

20. You wouldn't know it if you depended on MoveOn to get your news!