GOP Leader Blog

Dem Iraq Resolution "First Step" Toward Cutting Off Funding for America's Troops | Boehner On NBC's Meet the Press: "[If Democrats Are Not Going To] Cut Off Funding for the Troops In Harm's Way, Why Not Allow Republicans to Bring A Resolution to the Floor and Let the House Vote Up or Down on the Resolution?"
Posted by GOP Leader Press Office on February 12, 2007

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?

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