Congressman Doyle Votes to Bring Troops Home and make Iraqis take responsibility for their own security

Washington, DC – March 23, 2007 – U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-14) today voted in favor of legislation that would set a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from combat operations in Iraq and set benchmarks for the Iraqi to take over security and counter-insurgent activities in that country.

“I voted for this legislation because I believe the President’s policies have failed to end the sectarian conflict in Iraq – and that we need a new direction for our country’s Iraq policy,” Congressman Doyle said after the vote. “Setting a timeline for a phased redeployment of U.S. combat troops represents the best and only chance we have for compelling the Iraqi government to take responsibility for its own security – and getting our troops out of the middle of a bloody, senseless civil war.”

The House passed H.R. 1591, the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Iraq Accountability Act, on a party-line vote of 218 t0 212 earlier today. This $122 billion appropriations bill, also referred to as the Iraq Emergency Supplemental, would provide $100.4 billion for defense spending (mostly for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan), $6.3 billion for international affairs programs, $6.4 billion for hurricane disaster relief, $3.7 billion for agricultural disaster relief, $2.5 billion for homeland security, $1.7 billion for veterans health and other programs, $1.0 billion for pandemic flu preparedness, $750 million for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, $500 million for wildfire response, and $400 million for low-income energy assistance.

In addition to providing needed funding for federal government operations for the remainder of the current fiscal year, the bill also sets three alternative timetables for withdrawal from Iraq. It would require the President to certify by July 1, 2007, that Iraq is making progress toward specific security and political benchmarks – and to certify by October 1, 2007, that progress on the political benchmarks has been achieved. Redeployment of U.S. forces would have to be completed within 180 days after either date if the certification is not made. Withdrawal would have to begin, in any event, by March 1, 2008, and be completed by the end of August 2008. U.S. military forces could remain in Iraq after that date only to protect U.S. facilities and personnel, carry on normal diplomatic activities, conduct targeted missions against members of terrorist organizations like al-Qaeda, and train Iraqi security forces. The bill would also establish requirements for unit readiness and time between deployments, and would require either that the President certify the requirements have been met or formally waive them.

“I supported this bill because it sets a timetable for bringing our troops home,” Congressman Doyle said in explaining his vote. “That’s a first in the four years that Congress has been arguing over the war. In my opinion, it’s long overdue.”

“I have always opposed the war in Iraq,” Congressman Doyle noted. “I voted against the bill authorizing military action against Iraq, and I have been working diligently to bring our troops home as soon as possible.”

“While I’d like to bring our troops home sooner, it’s not clear we’ll even be able to secure a majority of votes in Congress for the timeline laid out in the supplemental,” Congressman Doyle added. “The President has promised to veto any bill that sets a schedule for US troop withdrawals from Iraq.”

Congress is expected to complete action on the Iraq Emergency Supplemental Appropriations bill some time in April.

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