House Democrats this week will force the House to debate and pass an Iraq resolution they claim "supports our troops" - yet they won't allow the House to vote on a Republican measure that would prohibit Congress from cutting off funds to the troops while they're in harm's way. Why won't Democrats allow the GOP proposal to come to the floor? Because - as statements by their leaders have already signaled - after their Iraq resolution passes, Democrats will begin moving legislation to systematically cut off funding for America's troops.
In this morning's issue of CQ Today, Democratic Caucus Vice Chairman Rep. John B. Larson (D-CT) stands behind the plan by Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) to cut funding for troops:"A non-binding resolution doesn't get you there. What Murtha has proposed gets you there."And here's what the Murtha plan is, according to Friday's Washington Post:"Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA), a sharp critic of the war and chairman of a subcommittee that oversees defense funding, is separately preparing language to block money for the additional troops in Iraq unless the military meets certain readiness standards. He said he will introduce his proposal on March 15 as an attachment to Bush ' s request for Iraq war funding."Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told CongressDaily last week that the Democrats' Iraq resolution is just "the first step" in their path to cut off funding, noting she would be relying on Rep. Murtha to carry out the plan:"'It is a first step,' said Speaker Pelosi, who added that the FY08 Defense budget being overseen by House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., would be the focus of their next move after oversight hearings. 'We intend to build on these hearings to force the administration to change direction,' said Murtha."Other House Democrats have been more explicit about their party's plans. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) told Roll Call last week:"'The war is binding, the resolution is not,' [Kucinich] said, 'We've got to get out of there, Congress must cut off the funds.'"
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) has consistently said Republicans would have an opportunity to offer an alternative proposal DURING THIS DEBATE. Will Democratic leaders allow a vote like they said they would, or will they renege on another promise?
Mark's Remarks
We need to call this Congress the Congress of Promises Broken in Less than 100 Days. Remember: Pelosi and Co. said they would not defund the troops? But guess what? They are planning to. Remember, Pelosi said she wanted to end the corruption and the special favors? We get TunaHelper Gate. She said she wanted to restore faith in Congress and cut the special perks. And what did we get? A request for a jumbo military jet.
This congress is already shaping up to be the most dishonest, lying, corrupt Congress since the 103rd. And it only took a month. That has to be a new record. Congrats to the Dems and to all the sheep who believed their drivel. When you wake up to a replay of the Saigon evac, the economy in the tank, and our military in shambles, remember November 7, 2006. You have no one to blame but yourselves.
