House OKs Iraq Troop Withdrawal Bill

[stephanie]

The vote for surrender...

By ANNE FLAHERTY
Associated Press Writer

full article at...
http://breakingnews.nypost.com/dynam...P&SECTION=HOME
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A sharply divided House brushed aside a veto threat Wednesday and passed legislation that would order President Bush to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq by Oct. 1.

The 218-208 vote came as the top U.S. commander in Iraq told lawmakers the country remained gripped by violence but was showing some signs of improvement.

Passage puts the bill on track to clear Congress by week's end and arrive on the president's desk in coming days as the first binding congressional challenge to Bush's handling of the conflict now in its fifth year.

"Our troops are mired in a civil war with no clear enemy and no clear strategy for success," said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer.

Republicans promised to stand squarely behind the president in rejecting what they called a "surrender date" handed to the enemy.

"Al-Qaida will view this as the day the House of Representatives threw in the towel," said Rep. Jerry Lewis of California, ranking Republican on the House Appropriations Committee.

The $124.2 billion bill would fund the war, among other things, but demand troop withdrawals begin on Oct. 1 or sooner if the Iraqi government does not meet certain benchmarks. The bill sets a nonbinding goal of completing the troop pull out by April 1, 2008, allowing for forces conducting certain noncombat missions, such as attacking terrorist networks or training Iraqi forces, to remain.

Two Republicans - Reps. Wayne Gilchrest of Maryland and Walter Jones of North Carolina - joined 216 Democrats in passing the bill. Voting no were 195 Republicans and 13 Democrats.

House and Senate appropriators agreed to the legislation earlier this week. The Senate was expected to clear the measure Thursday, sending it to the president.

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 265
(Democrats in roman; Republicans in italic; Independents underlined)

H R 1591 YEA-AND-NAY 25-Apr-2007 9:27 PM
QUESTION: On Agreeing to the Conference Report
BILL TITLE: Making emergency supplemental appropriations for fiscal year ending September 30, 2007, and for other purposes


Yeas Nays PRES NV
Democratic 216 13 1 2
Republican 2 195 1 3
Independent
TOTALS 218 208 2 5
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll265.xml

[Samantha]

And a very good bill it is.

On March 23, 2007, the House passed the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act by a vote of 218 to 212. This bill will support our troops and veterans, hold the Bush Administration and Iraqi government accountable and bring our soldiers home by August 2008 or sooner.

The Act will:

Expand funding for veterans’ health care and hospitals

• The bill provides funding so the Veterans Administration can meet the obligations of a new generation of veterans.
• Bush Administration must meet military standards for troop readiness
• The bill fully supports our troops and ensures they have the tools and resources they need to do the job they have been asked to do.
• The legislation prohibits the deployment of troops who are not “fully mission capable” as defined by the Department of Defense – in other words, troops who are fully trained, equipped and protected. This a reaffirmation of current Department of Defense standards.
• The President can only deploy “unprepared troops” if he certifies, in writing, to Congress, that deploying those troops is in the national interest.

Iraqi government must meet Bush benchmarks for reform

• The bill requires the Iraqi government to meet the key security, political and economic benchmarks established by the President in his January 10 address.
• The Iraqis failure to meet these benchmarks will mean the beginning of U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and will restrict economic aid to the Iraqis.

Strategic redeployment of U.S. combat troops by 2008

• If progress toward meeting key benchmarks is not made by July 1, 2007, a redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq begins immediately and must be completed within 180 days.
• If key benchmarks are not met by October 1, 2007, a redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq begins immediately and must be completed within 180 days.
• If key benchmarks are met by October 1, 2007, a redeployment of U.S. troops must begin by no later than March 1, 2008, and be completed within 180 days.
• Following redeployment, U.S. troops remaining in Iraq may only be used for diplomatic protection, counterterrorism operations, and training of Iraqi Security Forces.

Refocus military efforts on Afghanistan and fighting terrorism

• Al Qaeda is reconstituting, and the Taliban has grown stronger in Afghanistan.
• The bill significantly increases funding to defeat al Qaeda and terrorists in Afghanistan.

http://www.speaker.gov/legislation?id=0015

[avatar4321]

How can a bill for capitulation to genocidal maniacs be a good bill?

[gabosaurus]

Let them stop killing our people and start killing each others.
Face it, Bush apologists don't give a sh!t about the Iraqi people. They care about their own interests. They care about how they can increase the death count. This is not about Iraq. It's about saving face for the Bushies.

[Gaffer]

I like how they are going to provide support for the material the troops need to do their job and at the same time they are to be pulled out.

Definately time to start praticing with the veto stamp.

[LiberalNation]

Well this is one of the things they were voted in for. People are tired of the war by in large and don't see anything being done.