The reconciliation bill between the House and Senate’s versions of the Iraq Supplemental funding legislation passed the House of Representatives last night:
The bill is now on track to clear Congress by the weekend and arrive on the president’s desk as the first binding congressional challenge to Mr Bush’s handling of the conflict, which is now in its fifth year.
“Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success,” said the House majority leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer.
Republicans promised to stand squarely behind the president in rejecting what they called a “surrender date”.
“Al-Qaida will view this as the day the House of Representatives threw in the towel,” said Jerry Lewis, a Republican congressman on the house appropriations committee.
The legislation approves a further $124.2bn (£61.9bn) to fund the war but demands troop withdrawals begin on October 1, or sooner if the Iraqi government fails to fulfil certain conditions. It sets a non-binding goal of completing the pullout by April 1 2008, while allowing for forces conducting certain missions, such as pursuing terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.
Two Republican congressmen – Wayne Gilchrest and Walter Jones – joined 216 Democrats in voting for the bill. Thirteen Democrats joined 195 Republicans in rejecting it.
By the way, one of the two GOP members to vote with the Democrats was Walter “Freedom Fries” Jones, who long ago abandoned his support of Bush’s Iraq misadventure, possibly because, unlike Our Dear Leader he actually attends military funerals. The other, Wayne Gilchrist of Maryland appears to be a bit of a maverick as well. He won his last election with 68% of the vote so it’s not like he’s in a district that will swing back to the Democrats anytime soon.
Democrats who voted against the bill, or who did not vote, include the following:
(cont.)
Against:
Dan Boren, OK
John Barrow, GA
Lincoln Davis, TN
Dennis Kucinich, OH
John Lewis, GA
Jim Marshall, GA
Jim Matheson, UT
Michael R. McNulty, NY
Mike Michaud, ME
Brad Miller, NC
Gene Taylor, Ms
Maxine Waters, CA
Lyn Woolsey, CAPete Stark, CA, was present but didn’t vote.
Jim Costa, CA, and Nick Lampson, TX, also did not vote.
Kucinich, Lewis, Waters, and Stark are in the Progressive caucus, so I assume they were simply protesting the bill as reconciled in Committee for other reasons (i.e., too watered down for their taste).
Barrow, Boren, Davis, Costa, Marshall, Matheson, Michaud, and Taylor are all members of the Blue Dog Coalition (i.e., Republican Lites) so that explains their votes against the bill (or in Costa’s case, a non-vote). I guess they support more troops getting killed no matter what.
I have no idea why Brad Miller and Lyn Woolsey voted against the bill. Miller’s from North Carolina, but Woolsey is from a decidedly blue state. Maybe someone smarter than I can read the tea leaves behind their votes on this bill.
I suppose Nick Lampson abstained because he’s from Texas and didn’t want to go on the record supporting this legislation, but also didn’t want to offend anyone who was in favor of it. Sort of a fence sitter, to be honest.
Now the bill goes to the Senate. And then to Georgie Boy’s desk where he can proclaim again and again why the Democrats are Defeatists and Don’t support the troops, blah, blah, blah, when he vetoes it.
