House Votes to Approve Iraq Timetable

On March 23, the House of Representatives narrowly approved a $124 billion Iraq Supplemental [H.R. 1591] that would end the President's open-ended commitment of U.S. military forces in Iraq and set a timeline for redeploying most U.S. troops out of Iraq.  The House adopted the legislation on a vote of 218 to 212.  The measure provides U.S. troops with the equipment, armor and support they need, and also includes additional funding to provide medical care for our wounded military personnel and veterans. 

In addition, the bill establishes enforceable benchmarks to pressure the Iraqi government to make progress on a number of specific military, economic and reconciliation goals.  Under the terms of the bill, the Government of Iraq must make substantial progress on these benchmarks by July 1 and actually achieve the benchmarks by October 1, or U.S. forces would be redeployed out of Iraq.  The legislation also sets an end date for the participation of combat troops in Iraq; specifically, H.R. 1591 would require the redeployment of most U.S. troops by March 1, 2008. 

The Senate is working on its own version of the Iraq Supplemental next week.  Thereafter, a conference committee of House and Senate members will meet to reach a final version of the legislation.  President Bush has threatened to veto the House-passed bill. 

Below is Rep. Levin's Floor  statement in support of H.R. 1591:

"I rise in support of the legislation before the House, the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act.  This measure supports our troops in the field.  It provides more resources to ensure that our wounded service members and veterans receive the health care and support they need.  And it sets a responsible timeline for the phased redeployment of our troops. 

"Our nation continues to pay a high price for the Administration's reckless invasion of Iraq and the President's open-ended commitment of U.S. military forces in that country.  Our troops are entering their fifth year in Iraq, and there is no end in sight.  The situation is deteriorating.  Iraq is descending into a civil war.  For the last four years, the former Republican Majority in the Congress sat on its hands and followed the President's policy like robots.  The American people elected a new Majority in the House and Senate so that Congress would stand up and stop being a rubber stamp for the President.

"The President's open-ended policies of committing U.S. troops in Iraq for as long as it takes is not working.  We need a new way forward.  The only chance to salvage the situation in Iraq is to put real pressure on the Iraqis to take responsibility for their own future.

"Last January 10, President Bush addressed the nation and admitted that the situation in Iraq was descending into a vicious cycle of sectarian violence.  He laid out a series of actions that the Iraqi government would have to take; benchmarks that the Iraqis would have to follow through on or lose the support of the American people.  The President said that Iraq would approve legislation to share oil revenue among the Iraq people; that Iraq would spend $10 billion of its own money on reconstruction and infrastructure projects; that Iraq would reform the laws governing de-Baathification and allow more Iraqis to re-enter their nation's political life; that Iraq would establish a fair process for considering amendments to Iraq's constitution; and that Iraq would set a schedule to conduct provincial and local elections.  The President said, 'America will hold the Iraqi government to the benchmarks it has announced.'

"Since President Bush made that speech two months ago, 217 American soldiers have been killed in Iraq.  More than 3200 American soldiers have died since the war began.  More than 23,000 have been wounded.  Until the Iraqis step up to the plate and make the difficult political decisions that need to be made, the sectarian violence will continue and American military men and women will continue to be killed and wounded.  Either the factions in Iraq are going to come together and make these decisions, or they are not.  We should not leave our troops in harm's way indefinitely and just hand the President another blank check to continue an open-ended policy with no end in sight.

"The legislation before the House supports the troops, both in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It holds the Iraqi government to the benchmarks for progress that the President outlined in his January 10th speech.  Under this bill, if the President cannot certify that Iraq has achieved these benchmarks by October 1st of this year, a redeployment of U.S. troops begins immediately and must be completed within 180 days.  Absent this pressure, the Iraqi government will continue to postpone action on achieving the benchmarks.  If the Iraqi government does, indeed, meet the benchmarks by October 1, redeployment of U.S. forces would begin next March and be completed within 180 days. 

"After more than four years, this legislation would end the open-ended commitment to this war.  It would set a clear timeline for the phased redeployment of U.S. troops.  Without this pressure, there is little chance that the Iraqi leaders will make the decisions necessary to end civil war and build one nation.  Our country cannot make these decisions for them.  I urge passage of this legislation by the House."

For additional information on the House-passed legislation, click here. 

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