As House Democrats prepare to execute a plan that would allow them to bring to the floor emergency troop funding bill without having so much as a committee hearing – or any opportunity for Republican amendment for that matter – consider  these quotes from House Democrats when they were in the minority in the House of Representatives. Yesterday’s outrage is often today’s hypocrisy.

• From House Democrats’ 2006 manifesto: “Bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full, and fair debate consisting of a full amendment process that grants the Minority the right to offer its alternatives, including a substitute. … Bills should be developed following full hearings and open subcommittee markups, with appropriate referrals to other committees.”
• Then-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in an October 20, 2006 letter to Republican leaders: “We must restore bipartisanship to the administration of the House, reestablish regular order for considering legislation, and ensure the rights of the minority, whichever party is in the minority. The voice of every American has a right to be heard.”
• Here’s Rules Committee Democrat Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) on July 12, 2005:  “Closed rules are an affront to our democracy. We should stop it now. My outrage and the outrage of all on [the Democrat side] of the aisle is as much about process as it is about policy. Pure partisan politics never produces sound public policy.”
• Another Rules Committee Democrat, Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA), on June 15, 2006: “The American people want to hear practical, well-thought ideas from their elected representatives. … These proposals and ideas deserve to come to the floor. They deserve to be debated, and they deserve a vote. … Congress is part of this government. In fulfillment of its responsibilities, this House should … bring real policy to the floor.” (Floor Remarks, 6/15/06)
• And, Rules Committee Chairwoman Louise Slaughter (D-NY), from the very first week of this Congress: “It is long past time that this House started living up to those ideas and practices; that they started putting honesty and integrity … ahead of everything else.”

First, it was our allies, now it’s our troops. Who will be the next victim of Speaker Pelosi’s strong-arming tactics?

Tagged as: War In Iraq, War on Terror
Posted 30 Apr 2008

The Wall Street Journal editorial page provides an important reality check this morning. After recounting progress made by our troops in reducing violence, defeating al Qaeda and boosting Iraq security forces, the Journal reminds us that, “in some other war, under some other Administration, all this would be cause for bipartisan rejoicing.” Not so today.

In a letter to the troops in Iraq, Gen. Petraeus hints at some of the findings he and Ambassador Ryan Crocker will submit next week to Congress. He judges that “we have achieved tactical momentum and wrested the initiative from our enemies in a number of areas in Iraq … [T]he number of attacks across the country has declined in 8 of the past 11 weeks, reaching during the last week in August a level not seen since June 2006. … [T]he popular rejection of al Qaeda and its ideology has, for example, helped transform Anbar Province this year from one of the most dangerous areas of Iraq to one of the safest.” And on the uneven political progress in Baghdad, Gen. Petraeus told our troops that “the seriousness with which Iraqi leaders came together at their summit in late August has given hope that they are up to the task before them, even if it is clearly taking more time than we initially expected.”

House Republicans are anxious to hear from General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker next week and work toward a bipartisan plan for future success in Iraq.

Members who visited Iraq during the August work period:

• Rep. John Boozman (R-AR), Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee
• Rep. Thelma Drake (R-VA), Member of the Armed Services Committee
• Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Member of the Armed Services Committee
• Rep. Chris Shays (R-CT), Member of the Homeland Security Committee
• Rep. John McHugh (R-NY), Member of the Armed Services Committee
• Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Member of the Armed Services Committee
• Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO), Member of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee
• Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), Member of the Appropriations Committee
• Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Member of the Financial Services Committee
• Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA), Member of the Education and Labor Committee and Transportation Committee
• Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Member of the Homeland Security Committee and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee
• Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX), Member of the Energy and Congress Committee
• Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV), Member of the Ways and Means Committee

Tagged as: War In Iraq
Posted 07 Sep 2007

In light of the news showing significant progress in Iraq and congressional Democrats returning from visits to Iraq sharing positive feedback on the surge, Democrat leaders are changing their tune on a troop withdrawal timeline. According to a Politico article today, “Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) are calculating that it is futile to continue their months-long campaign to force an immediate end to the war, particularly after Republicans and a few Democrats.

Democrats are making these political moves in advance of the Iraq report next week by Gen. David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker. The Associated Press says that “Democrats are warily anticipating a September report on the Iraq war … some Democrats worry that credible reports of even slight improvements in the military situation in Iraq could hurt their party’s momentum.” That Democrats are politically invested in failure in Iraq is no surprise; before Congress adjourned for the August break, the Democrats’ No. 3 Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) admitted that “positive” news in Iraq would be “a real big problem” for his party.

House Republicans, for their part, continue to seek a bipartisan way forward. As House Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam said: “There is a basis for bipartisanship on Iraq if you can get the people who are invested in defeat out of the way.” returned from the summer recess intent on opposing legislation mandating a strict timetable for pulling out U.S. troops.”

Tagged as: War In Iraq
Posted 06 Sep 2007