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For Immediate Release
March 20, 2007 |
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Contact: Brad Dayspring
202-225-3484 (office)
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FRACTURED: Democrat Leadership Continues to be Rebuffed, Despite “Offering Billion$” for Vote
Speaker caught between “Out of Iraq” Caucus and Blue Dogs
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Washington D.C.- Despite Democrat leaders’ efforts, the Majority Caucus remains fractured when it comes to supporting their supplemental spending bill to fund the troops. Not only has the Democrat Caucus been unable to reach consensus over Rep. Murtha’s “slow-bleed” scheme to choke off funding for American troops, the Washington Post reported that Democrat leaders “are offering billions in federal funds for lawmakers’ pet projects large and small to secure enough votes this week to pass an Iraq funding bill that would end the war next year.”
Despite the money offers, members of the “Out of Iraq Caucus” and the “Blue Dogs” remain deeply divided.
“Out of Iraq” Caucus Members in Their Own Words:
Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA)… said during a speech in his district over the weekend that he plans to vote no along with a group of 20 other Democrats…. “The best way to keep [the troops] safe is to bring them home...” He added that if the resolution fails, “It won’t look good, like the Democrats can’t get their act together, but that’s OK. We can write a better bill.” (The Hill, March 20, 2007)
Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA): “Well, there are a lot of bells and whistles in this bill… And for those of us who feel that we should be out of Iraq, we have a responsibility to the people, and particularly since we know that the people want us out of Iraq… So those of us who feel strongly about it — we have to be good advocates. We have to speak for the people, and that's what we’re doing. …I think we need a straight bill, vote up or down on the supplemental, and the only thing that I would say is use money in that supplemental to safely exit the soldiers out of Iraq. ” (Fox News Sunday, March 11, 2007)
Rep. John Lewis (D-GA): “Tonight I must make it plain and clear that as a human being, as a citizen of the world, as a citizen of America, as a Member of Congress, as an individual committed to a world at peace with itself, I will not and I cannot in good conscience vote for another dollar or another dime to support this war.”
(Congressional Record, March 19, 2007)
Blue Dog Democrats in Their Own Words:
Rep. Jim Cooper (D-TN): “In general, we need to give the commander in chief flexibility.”
(Associated Press, March 8, 2007)
“To put an arbitrary deadline at the end that our troops will have to be out of the country on a particular date - that should be set by conditions on the ground not by conditions in Washington.” (CBN News, March 12, 2007)
Rep. Allen Boyd (D-FL): “The majority of the caucus would say, ‘Let’s be really strong in forcing the president out of here.’ Well, some of us are really uncomfortable playing general, and you’re going to see that reflected in what we vote on.”
(Associated Press, March 8, 2007)
Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA): “There are an awful lot of members — not just Blue Dogs — concerned about a date certain when troops would leave.”
(Associated Press, March 8, 2007)
In addition, Rep. Jim Marshall, a conservative Georgia Democrat, will likely vote against the measure because he opposes a specific date for withdrawal, said his spokesman. (The Hill, March 14, 2007)
With tensions high and the divide deep, what will happen?
Rep. David Obey (D-WI), Sponsor of the House bill: “We're trying to use the supplemental to end the war, but you can’t end the war if you’re going against the supplemental,” said Obey. “It's time these idiot liberals understand that. There’s a h--- of difference between de-funding the troops and ending the war.”
(CBN News, March 12, 2007)
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), Out of Iraq Caucus, Co-Founder: “If we lose, we could reconnoiter and try again.”
(San Francisco Chronicle, Pelosi on thin ice…, March 20, 2007)
Clearly, opinions vary.
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