HR 455: "Protect the Troops and Bring Them Home Act of 2007"
Found out about this at the Democracy for NYC meeting in my neighborhood last night. And let me take this opportunity to say that if you aren't working with your local DFNYC group, you really SHOULD be. They do good work and are one of the foundations of the NYC grassroots.
New York Congressman Jerrold Nadler has introduced one of the better Congressional Bills regarding the Iraq War. Most of the bills introduced specifically aim to block the Bush/McCain escalation of the war. Nadler specifically aims to bring the troops home in a safe, responsible way.
I met Congressman Nadler at a National Jewish Democratic Committee breakfast a couple of years ago. My son, then very young, liked him and Nadler regaled us with a story of a local legislator giving a long speech holding another legislator's baby, who had been crying. Nadler is a no-nonsense man and someone who will advocate well for troop withdrawal and who can stand up to Republican smears.
Nadler's bill would limit Congressional funding of the war ONLY to protecting the troops while withdrawing and for diplomacy and specifically rules out paying for any additional troops. Withdrawal must start within 30 days of enactment of the bill and end by Dec. 31, 2007. Here is what Nadler has to say on his website:
“It has been wrongly asserted that Congress cannot force the President to de-escalate or withdraw from Iraq because it cannot use its only real power – cutting off funds - lest it be accused of ‘abandoning the troops,’†says Rep. Nadler. “But if Congress appropriates funds, but limits those funds to protecting the troops and redeploying them from Iraq, that would be the best way of supporting the troops. In fact, keeping (or adding) American soldiers in the middle of a civil war with no end in sight is the ultimate act of abandonment. We must save American lives by bringing them home as soon as possible.â€
The Protect the Troops and Bring Them Home Act would limit the use of funds to:
1. Protecting our troops while they are in Iraq
2. Bringing the troops home in a safe and orderly manner on a timetable beginning one month after enactment of the Act and ending by December 31, 2007
3. Providing assistance to Iraqi security forces
4. Providing economic and reconstruction assistance
5. Arranging for diplomatic consultations.“If we want to end America’s military involvement in Iraq’s civil war, the only way we can overcome the President’s stubbornness in keeping us involved in this misguided effort is to limit the use of the funds to protecting our troops while carrying out a withdrawal,†says Rep. Nadler.
Please write your Congress Critter to express support for HR 455. May I particularly suggest lobbying my new Congresswoman, Yvette Clarke. She doesn't seem to have email or a district office yet, but here is here DC contact info:
Washington D.C. Office
1029 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone:(202) 225-6231
Please write or call her.
I would like to see our entire NYC Congressional Delegation (hear that Fossella?) get behind Nadler on this one.
Also write the media expressing your support of Nadler and this bill. This could be our best shot at stopping the Bush/McCain escalation plan, or at least getting it debated publically.
Can I just once again say that I am happy as can be with the Democratic Majority in the House so far!
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Government | Iraq | War | Democracy for America | Democratic Party | Jerry Nadler | Progressive Movement
Where's Clarke?
Submitted by mole333 on 8 February 2007 - 1:13pm.
Yvette won a very bitter election. She has something to prove. I have consistently approved of her leadership in the City Council at least on the issue of voting machines, opposing DRE machines vocally and actively. But people were already talking of challenges to her the day after she was elected. I would like to see her take some early and solid stands. And for those who note that she is a freshman and hence has little say, I will note that newly elected Congressmen Ellison and Loebsack have been co-sponsers of bills. Yvette needs to push this one particularly since bringing Murtha to Park Slope to talk about getting out of Iraq was one of her big campaign stunts. Please Ms. Clarke. Back Nadler on this one as stongly as you can. It would be a good way to reassure many of your constituents who remain uncertain of you.
More info on Nadler's bill
This bill has the singular advantage over all the other "similar" bills that have been introduced in that it can be used as an amendment to the supplemental appropriations bill.
In other words, it can be put on Bush's desk in a way that, were Bush to veto it, he would be cutting off all supplies to our troops.
As I write this, NYers who are on board include:
Maurice Hinchey (Nadler's partner on the bill)
John Hall
Carolyn Maloney
Jose Serrano
Edolphus Towns
If one of these is your rep, please write/call to express your appreciation. If your rep isn't on the list ... you know what to do.