House Prepares to Debate War Spending Bill

Later this week the House will debate a $124 billion dollar bill to fund the War the Iraq through the end of FY 2007.  As you probably already know, Speaker Pelosi is walking a political tightrope between conservative members of her caucus who may oppose the eventual drawdown of troop numbers and restrictions on the President in the bill, and anti-war Democrats who don't think there are enough strings attached to the bill.  Here's how she pitched the bill in a floor speech last night:

Again and again, Harry Reid, the Senate Democratic Leader, and I, have urged President Bush to adopt a plan for Iraq containing the following elements: transition the mission from combat to training; responsibly redeploy our troops; build consensus for political accommodation in Iraq; encourage a robust diplomatic effort, primarily involving Iraq’s neighbors.  We must then reform and reinvigorate the reconstruction effort; and refocus on the real war on terror – the war in Afghanistan.

Later this week we will debate a plan to bring the war to an end.  The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health, and Iraq Accountability Act will rebuild our military, protect our troops, provide for our veterans, and hold the Iraqi government accountable. 

The benchmarks for the Iraqi government set forth in this bill are the benchmarks endorsed by President Bush on January 10.  They are: improvements in the performance of the Iraqi security forces; a greater commitment by the Iraqi government to national reconciliation; and reductions in the levels of sectarian violence in Iraq.

After four years of war, it is reasonable to expect these benchmarks to be met this year.

I welcome the debate over this bill and the opportunity it provides for Members of Congress to express themselves on what the greatest ethical challenge facing our country.

Outside of Congress, the influential progressive advocacy group MoveOn has decided to support the bill, after polling its 3.2 million members.  And they're running radio ads beating-up on Republicans who oppose the bill.

Of course, the President is strongly opposed to the bill, has threatened to veto it and in yesterday's Iraq War anniversary speech - at the end of the bloodiest year so far - said, "They [Congress] have a responsibility to get this bill to my desk without strings and without delay."  Of course, he gave the speech under a portrait of Teddy Roosevelt in heroic Rough Rider garb.  One thing that can be said for this White House, they still know how to pull-off a photo-shoot as delusion of grandeur.