House Democratic Leaders Call President’s Attention to Crucial Facts in Iraq War Debate

Speaker. House.Gov ^

[Sub-Driver]

Press Releases Contact: Brendan Daly 202-226-7616 For Immediate Release 04/20/2007 House Democratic Leaders Call President’s Attention to Crucial Facts in Iraq War Debate

Washington, D.C. – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Majority Whip James Clyburn, Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel, Caucus Vice Chairman John Larson, and Assistant to the Speaker Xavier Becerra sent a letter to President Bush today to call his attention to crucial facts regarding the funding of the troops in Iraq and the debate on a timetable for withdrawal.

Below is the text of the letter:

April 20, 2007

The President

The White House

Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President:

As you know, Congress is working to produce a supplemental appropriations bill that will provide for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Disclosures this week by officials in the Department of Defense contradict repeated claims made by officials in your Administration in an effort to influence the outcome of congressional deliberations and public opinion. We therefore wanted to make sure you were aware of the facts on two critical issues relating to the supplemental.

First, on the value of timelines for redeployment of our troops from Iraq, Secretary of Defense Gates said this week: “The debate in Congress…has been helpful in demonstrating to the Iraqis that American patience is limited...the strong feelings expressed in the Congress about the timetable probably has had a positive impact… in terms of communicating to the Iraqis that this is not an open-ended commitment.”

Given the consideration that Secretary Gates has to give on a daily basis on how best to advance U.S. policy interests in Iraq, his views on the value of debating timetables for redeployment should be given great weight. Unlike some in your Administration who have been playing politics by criticizing the debate in Congress over responsible timelines, Secretary Gates recognizes that debating the timelines is constructive because it exerts pressure on Iraq’s leaders to forge political compromises.

Second, despite claims by some in your Administration that our troops in Iraq would be harmed if additional funding is not provided quickly, the Comptroller of the Army has made clear this week that money currently available to the Department of Defense can pay for the war until the end of June. Although it is the intention of Congress to send you an appropriations measure next week, should you follow through on your threat not to sign it, it is clear that there is ample time to work together to devise an alternative.

Congressional leaders are willing to work cooperatively with you on all matters relating to the war in Iraq. The bill we will send you provides for our veterans, protects our troops, rebuilds our military, holds the Iraqi government accountable, and responsibly winds down this war.

To work cooperatively, all parties must acknowledge what the facts are. We hope that you will take this letter in the spirit of clarifying the facts on these two vital matters.

Thank you for your consideration of our views.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi Steny H. Hoyer

Speaker of the House Majority Leader

James E. Clyburn Rahm Emanuel

Majority Whip Caucus Chairman

John B. Larson Xavier Becerra

Caucus Vice Chairman Assistant to the Speaker

[Sub-Driver]

Throw this one in the trash...........

[JRios1968]

[MikeA]

Here’s a crucial fact that doesn’t escape any sane person’s attention: Democrats are 5th columnist traitors who are in total alignment with Al Qaeda’s goals in Iraq and have given them a huge morale boost in declaring victory for Al Qaeda there just at a time Al Qaeda is slipping into a deeper quagmire in Iraq because of Sunni insurgents groups which have turned on Al Qaeda and are hunting them down like dogs! So STFU Dems! You’re seditionists who have no voice in responsible security policy. You’re not even Americans to me any more, so you have no part in this debate. Once we are finished dealing with your terrorist allies, we’ll turn our attention to dealing with you!

[LibLieSlayer]

satan’s party of evil treason.

LLS

[DakotaRed]

Why not just defund and get it over with?

How many of our Troops have alraedy died because of all this very public “debating” and opposition, emboldening our enemies?

[adversarial]

It does embolden our enemies, but it also disheartens our friends, The Iraqis that want to be free,if they believe that the US is going to cut and run they will be unwilling to provide our troops the information they need to locate weapon caches and identify insurgents.The cooperation of the local population is critical.Without this kind of information more of our troops and more innocent Iraqis will be,and already are being killed.
There is a price to be paid for this kind of political rhetoric and that fact needs to be driven home to the American people.

[LibLieSlayer]

"There is a price to be paid for this kind of political rhetoric and that fact needs to be driven home to the American people."

Absolutely... and it’s high time to force these traitors to pay that price... either fire them or indict them!

LLS