H.R. 2929 - A Milestone?


Today the US House of Representatives voted to pass href="http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h110-2929">H.R.
2929:



To
limit the use of funds to establish any military
installation or
base for the purpose of providing for the permanent stationing of
United States Armed Forces in Iraq or to exercise United States
economic control of the oil resources of Iraq.



US. Representative rel="tag">Barbara Lee introduced amendments to
this effect in 2005, and it went nowhere.  She tried to
accomplish the same thing with various amendments in 2006, with no
success.  In 2007, though, it not only passed, href="http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_6460997">it
passed with overwhelming support
:



The
House voted 399-24 today to pass Rep. Barbara
Lee's bill to prevent creation of permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq
and to bar U.S. control of Iraqi oil.



Lee's HR 2929 was considered under suspension of the rules, which bars
amendments, limits debate and requires a two-thirds vote for passage --
a sign that House Democratic leaders saw it not only as good policy,
but as another tool putting Republicans on the spot to oppose a
long-term presence in Iraq.



"Putting Congress on record with this clear statement helps take the
targets off our troops' backs and it supports our goals of handing over
responsibility for security and public safety to Iraqi forces," Lee,
D-Oakland, said on the House floor.



And it did put Republicans on the spot.  Most did the right
thing, but some
did not
...



cellspacing="1" cols="3" width="500">
href="http://bachus.house.gov/HoR/AL06/Home/" rel="tag">Spencer
Bachus




J.
Gresham Barrett






rel="tag">Kevin Brady


href="http://www.house.gov/campbell" rel="tag">John
Campbell


rel="tag">Chris Cannon














href="http://www.house.gov/steveking/" rel="tag">Steve
King
















Democrats
are in plain type, Republicans in italics, independents are underlined.
 Yes, I know, they are all in italics.



24 Congresspersons voted to increase the risk facing our military
personnel; to give the people who are shooting them, and blowing them
up, more reason to do so.



I think this is a major turning point. A very large majority of the House voted against something the President would have wanted them to support.



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