House Vote Opposes Withdrawal from Iraq

[Tiger in Spain 0]

CQ (Congressional Quarterly) Today reports (not available on line) that the U.S. House of Representatives debated and passed a measure proposed by Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla, to oppose “premature withdrawal” of U.S. troops from Iraq.

“Incessant calls for an established date for withdrawal from Iraq have a negative effect,” Ros-Lehtinen said on the floor. “The amendment before us seeks to restate our commitment. Let us not waiver in our commitment in Iraq.”

But Democrats complained the amendment was “unnecessary and inflammatory.”

Jim McDermott, D-Wash., called the amendment “a Republican PR stunt.”

“Reality, like body armor, is in short supply with this administration,” McDermott said on the floor. “Our soldiers do not need the tin sound of another hollow amendment. They need the sound of silence when the bombs stop falling.”

But Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, urged colleagues to “truly support our troops in word and in deed by supporting the Ros-Lehtinen amendment,” and received a smattering of applause after his speech.

I'm not sure how many sets of body armor each GI in Iraq needs, but I do know everyone has at least one - and replacements are also available.

The House also spent an hour on an amendment by Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., that would declare that the lawful detention and interrogation of alleged terrorists at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, is essential to winning the war against terror, eventually adopting the proposal by a vote of 304-124.

Rohrabacher contended that detainees at Guantánamo Bay are actually better off, having gained weight and access to medical care since their capture.

But debate often moved away from Guantánamo Bay and toward the prison abuses at Abu Ghraib in Baghdad last year.

Congress has been too lax in accountability “for abuses that started at Guantánamo and ended up in Iraq,” said Democrat Earl Blumenauer of Oregon.

A key point: both measures were proposed ammendments to HR 2601 - which passed 351-78 - authorizing funding for State Department operations and international aid. The ammendment opposing withdrawal from Iraq was added on a 291-137 vote - the Guantanamo ammendment received slightly lower opposition. Bot are non-binding provisions of the bill.

The Senate should have some fun with this one.

Actual text, Iraq provision: ...to enhance the security of the U.S. by making it the policy of the U.S. to pursue a transfer of responsibility for Iraqi forces only when they are ready to assume such responsibility and not to withdraw prematurely the U.S. Armed Forces from Iraq. Requires any withdrawal to be done only with careful coordination with a decision by the elected government of Iraq which shall be reached jointly when it is clear that the aim of the establishment of a free and stable Iraq that is at peace and not a threat to its neighbors has been or is about to be achieved.

passed 291-137.

Actual text, Guantanamo Provision: ...to express the sense of Congress that the capture, detention and interrogation of international terrorists are essential to the successful prosecution of the Global War on Terrorism and to the defense of the U.S., its citizens, and coalition partners from future terrorist attacks; and that the detention and lawful, humane interrogation by the U.S. of detainees at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is essential to the defense of the U.S. and its coalition partners and to the successful prosecution of the Global War on Terrorism.

passed 304-124.