House Dems Ready To Fight Bush On War Funding (Rep. Obey)

[Hissyspit]

Source: Statement from Rep. David Obey

The Democratic chairman of the powerful House Appropriations Committee said today that he was ready to go to the mat with President Bush over further funding for the war in Iraq.

Rep. David Obey (D-WI), who spoke today with Reps. John Murtha (D-PA) and Jim McGovern (D-MA), says he has "absolutely no intention of reporting out of Committee anytime in this session of Congress any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo." He laid our three conditions for the White House to meet:

1. Establish as a goal the end of U.S. involvement in combat operations by January of 2009.

- snip -

Read his full statement below:

In addition to the regular defense appropriation request of $463 billion, the President is asking Congress to appropriate an additional supplemental request of almost $200 billion - a blank check to finance U.S. activities in Iraq - and he clearly expects that request to be repeated for years to come.
"I would be more than willing to report out a supplemental meeting the President's request if that request were made in support of a change in policy that would do three things:

1. Establish as a goal the end of U.S. involvement in combat operations by January of 2009.


Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/10/02/house-dems-ready-to-fight_n_66777.html

[frylock]

1. give me a fucking break..

shithead will get his money, and there's nothing the dems will do to prevent it.

[monktonman]

3. No.....they really mean it this time

really

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

13. This time...we promise...

[Baclava]

25. More like - "We'll fight for our pork!...dammit"

pork pork pork

pork pork pork

[133724]

2. Sounds like he is adopting "The Kuchinich Plan"

is this true???

[eagler]

4. support no dem that continues to fund this war

[robinlynne]

15. There are only a handful left who don't. We're gonna need new candidates!

[Vidar]

5. I'm hoping it works, but I don't have much faith in politicians' promises at this point.

[sybylla]

9. I've been a constituent and a fan of Dave Obey's for all of his 38 years in congress

When he says there will be no continuation of the status quo, he means it.

I feel very safe in saying that the only way he'll back down from this is if he's taken off the committee. Now that doesn't mean whatever compromise the pukes agree to will be palatable to a left-winger like me, but it will not be status quo for the war.

[Vidar]

22. I hope you're right.

[spotbird]

6. Approps Chair Obey Says He'll Block Funding For War Without Withdrawal Date

Source: TPM

This is kind of big: Dem Rep. David Obey, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, just said at a presser that he'll use his power as committee chair to block future war funding measures if they don't contain clear timetables for withdrawal from Iraq and don't allow for longer troop rest times.

Obey, in a reference to the $190 billion war supplemental requested by President Bush, said the following, according to a transcript provided by the committee:

“I would be more than willing to report out a supplemental meeting the President’s request if that request were made in support of a change in policy that would do three things.
-- "Establish as a goal the end of U.S. involvement in combat operations by January of 2009."

-- "Ensure that troops would have adequate time at home between deployments as outlined in the Murtha and Webb amendments."

-- "Demonstrate a determination to engage in an intensive, broad scale diplomatic offensive involving other countries in the region."

“But this policy does not do that. It simply borrows almost $200 billion to give to the Departments of State, Defense, Energy, and Justice with no change in sight.

“As Chairman of the Appropriations Committee I have absolutely no intention of reporting out of Committee anytime in this session of Congress any such request that simply serves to continue the status quo."


Read more: http://tpmelectioncentral.com/2007/10/approps_chair_obey_says_hell_block_funding_for_war_without_withdrawal_date.php

[BrklynLib at work]

7. I hope some sleeping giants are waking up....

[aquart]

8. That's what we wanted.

[robinlynne]

16. That is great. some courage.

[Tyler Durden]

10. I hesitate to hope....

But if Obey says it's not coming out without the timetable, the rotation and the talks, he might just be ready to "DRAW" and you know Bush is shooting blanks.

[damntexdem]

11. It would be good if true.

I won't hold my breath; but I would be delighted to be surprised were the House to actually fight on this.

[wiscydem]

12. Obey can be a pit bull

Obey never supported the war, but he hasn't used the purse strings as well as he should have to stop it. If he has decided to finally dig in his heels, this could be a good fight.

[Randomthought]

14. If he does as he says he will

he should stay out of small planes. Too many people are making money on this war for the neocons to give it up.

[Jax]

17. Welcome to DU!!!

And I hope you are spot on about Obey!

It is a fight we must win.

Again, welcome wiscydem! :toast:

Alyce

[Zhade]

18. WHY DO THESE FUNDING BILLS EVEN GET TO THE FLOOR???

The Dems can BLOCK them (as Obey apparently wants to at least try doing)!

[RamboLiberal]

19. Murtha on this

Calling Iraq a "Republican" war, an angry Rep. John Murtha today joined several top Democrats in threatening to withhold the nearly $200 billion in emergency military spending that President Bush has requested.

"It is the Republicans in Congress who continue to hand this president a blank check with no policy restrictions for the war in Iraq," said Mr. Murtha, D-Johnstown, who chairs the powerful House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. "This is their war."

Murtha angrily denied that their approach would imperil soldiers already on the battlefield, saying Congress could provide enough funds for basic needs through the annual defense appropriations bill currently under consideration.

"We're going to take care of the troops. Period," he said.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07275/822256-100.stm

[wiscydem]

20. Iraq War Surtax

Murtha, McGovern and Obey have also proposed a surtax to pay for Bush's war. Pelosi has already panned it (does that matter anymore?) and Republicans are opposed. But the question of the costs to the US, in addition to the costs borne by our military men, women and families and the Iraqi people is seldom addressed directly.

Obey: Noting that “we need to stop pretending that this war doesn’t cost anything,” Obey also announced that Murtha, McGovern and he will be introducing a bill to create a war surtax to pay for operations in Iraq instead of passing those costs on to future generations as the President has requested.

[superconnected]

21. I hate to say this since I am a feminist

But why don't they just take off their friggen clothes and dance naked on the tables for the repukes.

That's what this comes down to. They may as well dump the hypocrisy and just be blantant about it.

We've been sold out too many times to believe these prostitutes are going to do what we elected them for.

[Bandit]

23. Start removing troops by Jan 09...Another fifteen months of death and destruction

Yeay...............

[Amonester]

29. Hey, the War preznit wants HIS War, and he Wants it 'til the end...

Imagine if the selected AWOL couldn't have his favorite WAR toys to play with for the fifteen months he still has to do all the hard werk he needs to enrich his have-more's more than they already R...

Nope. Can't throw his WAR toy$ away... Chimpy could get Reeeeaaaalllly mad, ya know? :puke:

[mvd]

24. Attach SCHIP to any funding bill!

WE can set the agenda for any funding, and I'm glad Obey realizes it.

[IndianaGreen]

26. Congressional Democrats remind me of the cheating husband who keeps promising his wife he won't

cheat again, yet continues to cheat.

Wake me up when the Democratic Congress decides to fight Bush.

[Carrieyazel]

27. I don't believe it or Obey. (Pardon the pun).

[Quantess]

28. Ready? Ready.......? Get ready......!

:boring:

[Orsino]

30. What's to fight over?

They either let a bill funding their war out of committee, or they don't. They either send him a bill funding their war, or they don't.

Pretending that they have to fight is an early admission of defeat.

[jazzjunkysue]

31. This time I mean it! Don't make me stop this car!

The check's in the mail.
We couldn't have done it without you.
You're the best boss I've ever had.
Of course I'm a virgin.
No, honey. I would never even think of having an affair.