WASHINGTON, D.C. - Representative Joe Baca (D-Rialto) today voted in favor of the $87 billion dollar Iraq Supplemental on the floor of the House of Representatives.  Baca cautioned that his vote to support the supplemental did not reflect his conscience and was cast only because the soldiers serving in Iraq needed support, not because the administration was offering a good plan. 

"The Republican Party is essentially holding the members of Congress hostage," Baca said. "Today, we were forced to write the administration a blank check or let our troops suffer."

"This administration must be more accountable to the American people about how the money is spent in Iraq.  I know that there are many Republicans out there that feel that way, too. But the House majority would not allow a substitute to reach the floor." Baca said. "It was the Republican way, or the highway."

The Supplemental Appropriations Act, HR 3289, would send $18.6 billion dollars in additional aid to help rebuild Iraq, but many Democrats and Republicans argue that the administration must disclose how the money is being spent. With controversy surrounding the governmental hiring of the Halliburton Corporation and reports that the soldiers serving in Iraq lack access to clean drinking water and life saving equipment like bulletproof vests, many Representatives are demanding answers from the President.

"We are losing many young men and women everyday," Baca said. "The rate of soldiers that we are losing is even greater than when we were at war. The ones that are really suffering are the families. I thought about those families as I voted this evening. We must do what we can to keep those troops safe."

"I thought about the young man in my district that we recently lost," Baca said. "His name was Jorge Gonzales, and I thought about his parents Mario and Rosa Gonzales from Rialto.  I cannot let more soldiers die because they are not being protected.  This plan to spend $87 billion dollars is not a good plan, but it is the only plan that we were offered."

"I know that the 1^st Battalion, 185^th Armor Regiment in San Bernardino will be shipping out of my district at the beginning of next year," Baca said. "I want to make sure that I am doing everything in my power to keep them safe."

Baca said that the Democratic substitution offered by Rep. David Obey (D-WI) was a better plan for Iraq, the troops, and the American people. Under the Obey substitution, the administration would be required to report to Congress about spending in Iraq as well as all non-competitive contacts awarded.  The substitution would also cost $4.6 billion less on the reconstruction of Iraq than the Republican plan and would be paid for by canceling the Bush tax cut that benefited only the wealthiest 1% of the nation.  The Republicans obstructed the House from voting on the full measure.

"Our men and women are overseas dying, " Baca said. "We must make sure that they have the equipment that they need to survive to come home safely to their families. This plan is not the best thing for America but it is the only alternative to support our troops."

"One year ago, when this nation was debating whether we should go to war, I was one of the first to question whether this military had the equipment and was prepared to go to war, but the administration instructed us not to worry," Baca said. "I supported the first supplemental of $79 billion because the administration said that the troops needed more equipment. I support this supplemental because the troops need more equipment, but I want the administration to be accountable. Are the troops getting the equipment that they need? I have been asking this question for over one year."