Posted on 04/26/2007 10:26:19 AM PDT by 50mm
WASHINGTON - A defiant Democratic-controlled Senate passed legislation Thursday that would require the start of troop withdrawals from Iraq by Oct. 1, propelling Congress toward a historic veto showdown with President Bush on the war.
The 51-46 vote was largely along party lines, and like House passage of the same bill a day earlier, fell far short of the two-thirds margin needed to overturn the president's threatened veto. Neverthe less, the legislation is the first binding challenge on the war that Democrats have managed to send to Bush since they reclaimed control of both houses of Congress in January.
No, Lieberman voted AGAINST it. They are counting him as an Independent when they say no Dems voted against.
All those who voted for it are TRAITORS and should either STEP DOWN or HANG!!!
Disgustingly, the media spins this vote for surrender as defiant.
Were McCain and Graham on the US Senate floor during the vote?
Or were they out of town. (I totally agree with you, RR, about their need to go on record).
The media is spinning this the democrat’s way. Nobody should be surprised.
During the 2006 campaign, when many of you were promising to stay home because your candidate wasn’t 100% to your liking, did you ever envision this happening? If so, did you ever bother to say anything?
Elections DO have consequences. The defeat party is being quoted by every anti American news outfit on the planet.
Was it John Thune who asked Harry Reid...If we lost, who won? The media doesn’t bother to ask them anything. They just smile and shake their heads, agreeing with them.
I feel so bad for our soldiers. Fighting to be called every name in the book by democrats who help defeat them.
The only way he could get the nomination, the following would have to happen:
1. Thompson decides not to run.
2. Rudy gets another divorce.
3. Romney flip flops some more.
4. Duncan Hunter....well I can't think of anything he would do, but unfortunately he doesn't have the name recognition McPain has so he has a slight chance to beat him.
Neither was present for the vote. I’m assuming both were out of town. McCain is campaigning. Don’t know about Graham but he could be out helping his “hero” McCain. While I wish they had voted, and these two aren’t my picks for anything, I don’t count them as the enemy, knowing their vote wouldn’t stop this thing. I have my eyes fixed squarely on the enemy, not on those with clay feet(flawed) among Republicans.
What in the heck happened to the Fillabuster????
You forgot to call him a RINO, which he is.
This is the section in the Bill (HR 1591) that sets the timetable - regardless of the conditions on the ground, good or bad.
Thanks!
SEC. 1904. (a) The President shall make and trans-13
mit to Congress the following determinations, along with 14
reports in classified and unclassified form detailing the 15
basis for each determination, on or before July 1, 2007: 16
(1) whether the Government of Iraq has given 17
United States Armed Forces and Iraqi Security 18
Forces the authority to pursue all extremists, includ-19
ing Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias, and is 20
making substantial progress in delivering necessary 21
Iraqi Security Forces for Baghdad and protecting 22
such Forces from political interference; intensifying 23
efforts to build balanced security forces throughout 24
Iraq that provide even-handed security for all Iraqis; 25
76
ensuring that Iraq’s political authorities are not un-1
dermining or making false accusations against mem-2
bers of the Iraqi Security Forces; eliminating militia 3
control of local security; establishing a strong militia 4
disarmament program; ensuring fair and just en-5
forcement of laws; establishing political, media, eco-6
nomic, and service committees in support of the 7
Baghdad Security Plan; and eradicating safe havens; 8
(2) whether the Government of Iraq is making 9
substantial progress in meeting its commitment to 10
pursue reconciliation initiatives, including enactment 11
of a hydro-carbon law; adoption of legislation nec-12
essary for the conduct of provincial and local elec-13
tions; reform of current laws governing the de- 14
Baathification process; amendment of the Constitu-15
tion of Iraq; and allocation of Iraqi revenues for re-16
construction projects; and 17
(3) whether the Government of Iraq and United 18
States Armed Forces are making substantial 19
progress in reducing the level of sectarian violence in 20
Iraq. 21
(b) On or before October 1, 2007, the President— 22
(1) shall certify to the Congress that the Gov-23
ernment of Iraq has enacted a broadly accepted 24
hydro-carbon law that equitably shares oil revenues 25
77
among all Iraqis; adopted legislation necessary for 1
the conduct of provincial and local elections, taken 2
steps to implement such legislation, and set a sched-3
ule to conduct provincial and local elections; re-4
formed current laws governing the de-Baathification 5
process to allow for more equitable treatment of in-6
dividuals affected by such laws; amended the Con-7
stitution of Iraq consistent with the principles con-8
tained in article 137 of such constitution; and allo-9
cated and begun expenditure of $10 billion in Iraqi 10
revenues for reconstruction projects, including deliv-11
ery of essential services, on an equitable basis; or 12
(2) shall report to the Congress that he is un-13
able to make such certification. 14
(c) If in the transmissions to Congress required by 15
subsection (a) the President determines that any of the 16
conditions specified in such subsection have not been met, 17
or if the President is unable to make the certification spec-18
ified in subsection (b) by the required date, the Secretary 19
of Defense shall commence the redeployment of the Armed 20
Forces from Iraq and complete such redeployment within 21
180 days. 22
(d) If the President makes the certification specified 23
in subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall commence 24
the redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq not later 25
78
than March 1, 2008, and complete such redeployment 1
within 180 days. 2
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds 3
appropriated or otherwise made available in this or any 4
other Act are immediately available for obligation and ex-5
penditure to plan and execute a safe and orderly redeploy-6
ment of the Armed Forces from Iraq, as specified in sub-7
sections (c) and (d). 8
(f) After the conclusion of the 180-day period for re-9
deployment specified in subsections (c) and (d), the Sec-10
retary of Defense may not deploy or maintain members 11
of the Armed Forces in Iraq for any purpose other than 12
the following: 13
(1) Protecting American diplomatic facilities 14
and American citizens, including members of the 15
U.S. Armed Forces. 16
(2) Serving in roles consistent with customary 17
diplomatic positions. 18
(3) Engaging in targeted special actions limited 19
in duration and scope to killing or capturing mem-20
bers of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations 21
with global reach. 22
(4) Training members of the Iraqi Security 23
Forces. 24
79
(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 50 1
percent of the funds appropriated by title I of this Act 2
for assistance to Iraq under each of the headings ‘‘IRAQ 3
SECURITY FORCES FUND’’, ‘‘ECONOMIC SUP-4
PORT FUND’’, and ‘‘INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS 5
CONTROL AND LAW ENFORCEMENT’’ shall be with-6
held from obligation until the President has made a certifi-7
cation to Congress regarding the matters specified in sub-8
section (b)(1). 9
(h) The requirement to withhold funds from obliga-10
tion pursuant to subsection (g) shall not apply with re-11
spect to funds made available under the heading ‘‘ECO-12
NOMIC SUPPORT FUND’’ for continued support for 13
the Community Action Program and Community Sta-14
bilization Program in Iraq administered by the United 15
States Agency for International Development or for pro-16
grams and activities to promote democracy in Iraq. 17
“Neverthe less, the legislation is the first binding challenge on the war that Democrats have managed to send to Bush since they reclaimed control of both houses of Congress in January”
Binding my a$$!!! It is a BLATANTLY ILLEGAL resolution and they KNOW IT!! This is yet another propaganda ploy by the Dems and it will blow up in their faces...BIG TIME!!!
I agree with your whole list of factors...I guess it’s just my gut feeling that tells me so. (I hope it’s wrong, of course.)
They are EIGHTY DAYS past when they should’ve voted the funds. Bush will veto. Then they have to start over.
A filibuster was deemed too time consuming and confusing to the public as between good guys and bad guys. People don’t like filibusters and get confused on the details.
The Repubs wanted Bush to get the bill and veto it while loudly proclaiming WHY. The military is hurting for money.
THIS IS TREASON!
Time to roll out the Justice Department, investigate, and prosecute those who subvert our Constitution, and the President’s authority as Commander-in-Chief.
President Bush: " Step right up you Democrat Senahos, pick up your veto and a tube of Preparation H, they're free in rememberance of Harry Reid!"
Dems stab the troops in the back, again.
“What in the heck happened to the Fillabuster????”
I guess our side wants to get the bill to Bush’s desk quickly so he can veto and Congress can start on a new bill. A fillibuster will delay things and our troops will be running out of cash soon.
Yeah. Maybe our brave young people will stop vounteering for the military, since the Democrats are telling them they are wasting their time defending the United States.
Have just forwarded to most of the people I work with. Will continue when I get home.
The Senate has joined with our enemy. It is a sad day for America. Get out the VETO pen, Mr. President.
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