House members have passed a budget bill that gives Bush some of the $200+ billion that he wants to continue the occupation of Iraq, but only if it includes steps like beginning a withdrawal, rejecting torture, and focusing on counter-terrorism work. Of course, Republicans are strongly opposed to this, even though most Americans want to get us out of Iraq, as you can see by Just Foreign Policy’s Withdrawal Support Calculator. And Bush is expected to veto this bill.
This bill is part of the broader fight between the Bush White House and the rest of America… Bush wants a no-limit credit card when it comes to Iraq, but to clamp down on spending to ensure the health and safety of the average American. His veto of the latest House domestic spending bill means he is rejecting spending on education, labor, and health and human services. To him, local programs and local jobs are pork, but multi-million dollar defense contracts are legitimate business. His complaint that led to the veto is that the bill is $10 billion more than he wants… I suppose to fund the $200 billion to continue the occupation of Iraq.
True Majority has a page where you can email your representative to tell them to support only funding the occupation of Iraq if we have a plan to leave. Most of the Oregon delegation is on the correct side of this one, but it doesn’t hurt to call and remind them that we’re here and we care.
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