The House/Senate conference committee has agreed on the final terms of the Iraq War supplemental funding bill. All in all, I have to say that I am impressed with the product. Here are the most important details:
The legislation would maintain House-passed language that set strict requirements for resting, training and equipping troops. But they would grant the president the authority to waive those restrictions, as long as he publicly justified the waivers.
The bill also establishes benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet, including the creation of a program to disarm militias. The benchmarks also require reductions in sectarian violence, the easing of rules that purged the government of all former Baath Party members, and passage of an oil-revenue-sharing law.
Unless the Bush administration determines by July 1 that those benchmarks are being met, troops would begin coming home immediately, with a goal of completing those withdrawals by the end of the year. If benchmarks are being met, troops would begin coming home no later than Oct. 1, with a goal of completing the troop pullout by April 1.
After combat forces are withdrawn, some troops could remain to protect U.S. facilities and diplomats, pursue terrorist organizations and train and equip Iraqi security forces.
The bill has one hard deadline (July 1st, 2007). On that day, the Bush administration must certify that the Iraqi government is meeting benchmarks or start bringing our troops home. Other than that, there are only non-binding goals. But the hard deadline pretty much assures that the White House will heavily whip Republicans in Congress to vote against it before the President ultimately vetoes it.
And every Republican that votes against this bill will get nailed by another provision.
The agreement would raise the minimum wage for the first time in a decade, from $5.15 to $7.25 over two years.
And another.
It includes tax cuts worth $4.8 billion over 10 years.
And more.
The bill includes $400 million in energy assistance for low-income families, the lower amount provided in the House version of the bill. It provides $650 million for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, $100 million more than either version provided.
And they’ll get to vote against this.
It would spend on veterans’ health care $1.8 billion that Bush had not asked for and boosts funding for troop training and equipment. It also includes $2 billion more than the White House requested for homeland security.
And against this.
…the agreement keeps Walter Reed Army Medical Center open for now, overruling the federal commission that had planned to shutter the Washington-based facility. The bill provides $20 million for repairs at Reed, keeping it open while upgrades are made to its successors.
That is a lot of popular stuff to go on the record as having opposed. The Democrats have come up with a bill that is strong enough to set in law that the Bush administration must begin drawing down troops as soon as July…so that if Bush signs the bill we will have actually accomplished something important. But, at the same time, they have larded the bill up with tax cuts, a minimum wage hike, money for our vets and for Walter Reed, agricultural subsidies, and homeland security. This will create the maximum impact on any lawmaker that votes against the bill. The real effort here is to peel away more vulnerable Republicans and weaken them up for the next confrontation.
The next confrontation will be about creating a supplemental bill that the President will actually sign. And it looks like the Dems are thinking of giving him money in two or three month chunks…forcing the President to continually come back and defend the progress of the war, and to chip away at his base of support in Congress.
For that purpose, this bill is excellent. It’s good enough that we won’t freak out if it passes, and it is tough enough that only the safest of Republicans can avoid severe damage by opposing it.
Well done. The votes will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. Please write your Republican representatives and ask them to support the bill.
