Democratic leaders reassured lawmakers that next week's symbolic vote would not be the last word

[bigtree]

February 8, 2007

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Democratic leaders said Thursday that members will vote next week on a resolution stating opposition to President Bush's decision to send more forces into combat and voicing support for the troops.

House members will also get a chance to vote on a Republican alternative, they said.

The leaders described the vote as the first step of many that will be taken by Democrats to try to force an end to the nearly four-year-old war that has killed more than 3,000 U.S. troops and turned public opinion strongly against the conflict.

"At a closed-door meeting of Democrats, leaders reassured lawmakers that next week's symbolic vote would not be the last word, participants said. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., who chairs a subcommittee that oversees defense funding, told members he plans to try blocking funding for the deployment of troops in an upcoming bill paying for the war unless they meet high readiness standards."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_IRAQ?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2007-02-08-11-51-22



The money behind the 'surge'

Wednesday, February 07, 2007 -- At a press conference last week, Murtha said he would not approve the latest request for $100 billion in war funding without “extensive hearings” that are slated to begin February 17. “We're going to check every cent that is spent by the United States government,” Murtha said.

Analysts expect Murtha to eventually vote to approve the war funding but with conditions attached.

At a hearing of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in January, Murtha said those conditions could include that no money be allocated for an escalation unless the military can meet normal “readiness” levels.

“We should not spend money to send people overseas unless they replenish the strategic reserve,” Murtha told that hearing. “If he wants to veto the bill,” Murtha said of Bush, “he won't have any money.”

Former Rep. Tom Andrews (D-ME), who is close to Murtha, told the Inter Press Service that other conditions for further funding of the Iraq War could include closing the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and bulldozing the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

http://www.dailyamerican.com/articles/2007/02/07/news/thursday/news05.txt

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