NO to $95.5 Billion More for War |
The House of Representives is scheduled to vote on a rewritten funding bill for the war Thursday evening or Friday (May 10 or 11).
The new bill provides $40 billion immediately for the war in Iraq and contains no timeline or goals for troop withdrawal. In addition, the bill attempts to coerce Iraq into opening up its vast oil reserves to U.S. and multi-national oil companies. The bill sets the stage for another confrontation with the Bush Administration on Iraq in July. The President will have to file progress reports to Congress before they will vote to release another $45 billion to extend the war through September.
This is an unacceptable capitulation to White House pressure. While creating new political problems for the President, it allows him to continue the escalation and persist in policies that have already failed. The promise of another Congressional vote in three months is no substitute for effective action to bring the troops home. We cannot stand by while Congress plays games with the lives of U.S. soldiers and Iraqis.
Call Congressman Markey today at 202-225-2836
Tell him:
-Bring all the troops home now.
-Vote NO on the FY2007 Supplemental War Appropriation - Congress should stop funding this war.
-No to the Hydrocarbon Law One of the benchmarks Congress has included is that the Iraqi government pass an oil revenue sharing law. ! Congressman Markey has been given much information by his constituent s over the last 4 months explaining that the law currently before the Iraqi parliament opens up Iraqi oil reserves to U.S. and multinational oil companies for their profit. It is opposed by the Iraqi oil workers union and the U.S. peace movement.
Background:
Although this two step approach represents progress -- by dragging out the funding process, Congress is obviously tightening the screws on the White House -- it also represents a continuation of the war. We have never supported a dime for this war, and we are not about to now.
How does this bill differ from the bill the President vetoed?
- the bill is divided into two bills - one that primarily funds the wars and occupations of Iraq and Afganistan, and another that primarily funds domestic programs
- the war funding bill provides the full $95.5 billion for t! he wars in Iraq and Afganistan -- but only $40 billion will be released immediately. On July 13 the Administration must submit progress reports, congress will then vote on whether to release the remaining $45 billion.
- there are no timelines, goals or deadlines for any troop withdrawals. The bill does contain a 'sense of Congress" provision that for each Iraqi battalion certified as proficient, a unit of U.S. troops of comparable size should be withdrawn.
- that second vote in July provides a sop to progressives who aren't paying attention: it promises a vote on a bastardized version of the Lee amendment (restricting funding to the safe and orderly withdrawal of troops). But they have changed the amendment to allow huge loopholes to keep more troops in Iraq to kill and capture terrorists and to train Iraqi troops.
Benchmarks:
This bill is all about benchmarks -- holding the Iraqi government to ! benchmarks, rather than holding the Bush administration accountable for its failed policy of war and occupation. A key benchmark is requiring passage of an oil law, promoted in the media for its revenue sharing provisions -- but with a much darker side that would privatize Iraqi oil production and open up oil resources to multinational and U.S. oil companies. The bill, virtually written by U.S. oil companies is strongly opposed by Iraqi oil workers and most members of Iraq's parliament. UFPJ strongly opposes the oil law.
For addtional analysis, please visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org
This alert is sent to you by Arlngton United for Justice with Peace (http://arlingtonujp.org) and the Lexington Justice with Peace Committee