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War in Iraq

On June 19, 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 (H.R. 2642). This legislation was divided into two separate amendments. The first amendment would provide a total of $165.4 billion for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for fiscal year 2008 and fiscal year 2009. This funding would support the wars until the summer of 2009. I voted against this amendment, which would have continued funding the President’s ill-conceived war in Iraq. The amendment passed on a vote of 268 to 155.

The second amendment to the Supplemental Appropriations Act would expand education benefits for veterans under the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Act of 2008, expand unemployment compensation for U.S. workers who have exhausted their benefits, and place a moratorium on six Medicaid regulations that would cut services to American seniors, families, and individuals with disabilities. In addition, this amendment would prohibit the establishment of permanent U.S. bases in Iraq and would require the Government of Iraq to match dollar-for-dollar any aid provided by the U.S. for reconstruction. This domestic amendment was approved by the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 416 to 12, with my support. The Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2008 was approved by the U.S. Senate on June 26, 2008 and the President signed the bill into law on June 30, 2008.

In January 2007, President Bush deployed more than 20,000 additional U.S. troops to Iraq. This surge of troops was designed to quell the violence in Iraq and allow the Iraqi government time to address specific security, economic, and political benchmarks. In 2007, 901 American soldiers were killed in Iraq. This represents the largest number of casualties in a single year since the war began. It is obvious that the surge is not working.

After eight months, in September 2007, President Bush announced that the additional troops sent to Iraq for the surge would be withdrawn by July 2008. This would bring troop levels down from 160,000 to 140,000. However, the Administration is unwilling to discuss any further withdrawals and the President has even ordered a halt on any further withdrawals after July.

Last year’s supplemental funding bill for Iraq, which was signed into law in May 2007, stated that any further U.S. involvement in Iraq is conditional upon the Iraqi government meeting 18 “benchmarks.” Unfortunately, Iraq has failed to take responsibility of its own country and meet these critical benchmarks. In September 2007, a Government Accountability Office report on progress in Iraq showed that the Iraqi Government failed to meet 15 of the 18 political, security, and economic benchmarks established by the President and the Iraq Supplemental funding bill. Basic issues such as how Iraqis will divide oil revenues, share power, or address para military and corrupt police remain unresolved.

In addition, a March 2008 Government Accountability Office study found that Iraq’s oil profit could top $100 billion in 2007 and 2008. When the President announced the surge, he told Americans that Iraqi’s would provide $10 billion for reconstruction projects in their country. According to the March report, the Iraqi Government had only spent 7 percent of that budget by November 2007. The U.S. has committed about $45 billion to Iraq’s reconstruction since March 2003. It is unacceptable that the Iraqi Government is not sharing in the cost of reconstruction.

I believe that only the Iraqis can solve their own internal conflicts, bring peace and establish stability in their country. One of our nation’s great resources, our young men and women, are caught in the middle of a civil war, which can only be solved through political reconciliation, not through further military involvement. The Iraq war has now lasted longer than World War II and it is time to begin bringing our troops home.

The 107th Engineering Battalion of Ishpeming is deployed to Iraq for the second time. In addition, the B Detachment 1/1-125 of Alpena and F/237 Forward Support Battalion of Bay City have also been sent to Iraq. It is important that Congress continues to provide these brave service members the training and equipment they need to complete their mission and return home safely.

Despite evidence that progress is not being made in Iraq and criticism from military leaders, defense experts, Republican and Democratic Members of Congress, and the American people, the President continues to call for more of the same for the war in Iraq. The Bush Administration has already dedicated over $670 billion to this war, which has resulted in the loss of over 4,103 American lives, including more than 148 from Michigan. I will continue to vote for a new direction in Iraq and to bring our troops home.

In summation, I will continue to pressure the Administration and the Iraqi government to end this war, which has gone on for too long without any clear plan for resolution, and I will continue to vote to end our military involvement in Iraq. Further, as long as there are U.S. troops in Iraq, I will ensure these troops have the resources they need to protect themselves, complete their mission and return home safely.