[Peace-discuss] Re: CORRECTING My Comment On Iraq Withdrawal Legislation We Might Support

[C. G. Estabrook]

Carol--

Here's what the Democrat liberals seem to have coalesced around as of today:

	Liberal House Dems Lay Out Proposal To End Iraq War
	By Greg Sargent

Okay, so liberal House Dems have just concluded their press conference 
in Washington, where they laid out their preferred approach to ending 
the Iraq War.

The crux of what the liberals want is this: Any further funding for the 
war, they say, should be earmarked for funding withdrawal of the troops. 
The idea is to fund withdrawal, rather than defund the war.

Their proposal was best expressed in this statement by Dem Rep. Barbara 
Lee, in which she detailed the amendment she and other liberal House 
Dems such as Maxine Waters, Jerrold Nadler, Maurice Hinchey and others 
would like to see voted on in the House. Lee read aloud the following:

     "We are here today to discuss our proposal for Congress to fully 
fund the safe withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq by December 31st, 2007.

     "The American people sent a clear message in November -- they 
called on Congress to bring a responsible end to the Bush 
administration's failed policy in Iraq, and that is what the Lee 
Amendment is designed to do.

     "Let me briefly explain what the Lee Amendment would do.

     "It would require that all funds appropriated for Iraq could be 
used only for the following purposes:

     "First, to complete the withdrawal of all US Armed Forces and 
military contractors from Iraq by December 31st, 2007.

     "And second, to provide for the protection of those forces and 
contractors during the course of that withdrawal.

     "We also clarify that while this would effectively end our military 
occupation of Iraq, it does not prohibit or restrict funds from being 
used for diplomatic efforts or reconstruction.

     "According to a Gallup poll out this week, 6 in 10 Americans (58 
percent) want U.S. troops to be withdrawn within 12 months.

     "This very simple proposal represents where the majority of 
Americans are with regard to Iraq, and we are in discussion with our 
leadership to consider this proposal in formulating the supplemental."

The text of the Lee amendment is after the jump.

House Dem leaders, meanwhile, should be wrapping up their presser any 
minute now. More soon.

The Lee amendment:

     AMENDMENT TO H.R. _____, AS REPORTED

     (SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS, 2007)

     OFFERED BY MS. LEE OF CALIFORNIA

     At the end of the bill (before the short title), insert the following:

     SEC. ___. (a) Funds appropriated for Operation Iraqi Freedom or 
otherwise made available to the Department of Defense under any 
provision of law may be obligated and expended within the Republic of 
Iraq only for the purpose of providing for-

     (1) the continued protection of members of the Armed Forces who are 
in Iraq participating in Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Department of 
Defense contractor personnel who are in Iraq performing contracts 
related to such Operation, pending and during the withdrawal of such 
members of the Armed Forces and such contractor personnel; and

     (2) the safe and complete withdrawal from Iraq of all members of 
the Armed Forces and contractor personnel described in paragraph (1) 
pursuant to a plan that provides for completion of the withdrawal not 
later than December 31, 2007.

     (b) Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to prohibit or 
otherwise restrict the use of funds available to any department or 
agency of the United States to carry out diplomatic efforts or social 
and economic reconstruction activities in Iraq.

<http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/mar/08/
liberal_house_dems_lay_out_proposal_to_end_iraq_war>

Mar 8, 2007 -- 10:58 AM EST


Carol McKusick wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> Here in the attachment is the text of the Woolsey bill copied into a 
> word document
> 
> If for some reason I have not succeeded in attaching it in a way that 
> you can view it in your e-mail client, the way that you find it on line 
> is by using the search engine at www.thomas.loc.gov 
> <http://www.thomas.loc.gov/> Home with bill number, in this case HR 
> 508, (rather than word/phrase), checked.  This will take you directly to 
> the text of the bill.  Also useful is the link "Bill Status and 
> Summary."  Go there to find congressional action, and co-sponsors and 
> such. 
> 
>     ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>     From:  /"Barbara kessel" <barkes at gmail.com>/
>     To:  /"Carol McKusick" <cmck61801 at msn.com>/
>     Subject:  /Re: CORRECTING My Comment On Iraq Withdrawal Legislation
>     We Might Support With T./
>     Date:  /Sat, 3 Mar 2007 00:29:58 -0600/
>      >Thanks for doing this, Carol. It makes much more sense for me when I
>      >can read your comments in print. I tried in two places to go to the
>      >link and read the Woolsey bill but without success. Do you think you
>      >could send that to me directly? Barbara
>      >
>      >On 3/2/07, Carol McKusick <cmck61801 at msn.com> wrote:
>      >>