January 23, 2008
Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement regarding the new legislative measures she has introduced on Iraq and Iran:
“As co-founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, I stand firm that this Republican administration must stop the war rhetoric and adopt a real foreign policy that pursues real diplomatic avenues to resolve the challenges in Iraq and Iran.
“For months, military experts have confirmed what we already know - there is no military solution to the problems in Iraq. So there is no need for a long term military presence, meaning no permanent bases.
“Although the president has five times signed into law bills that include provisions prohibiting permanent military bases in Iraq, last November President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister al-Malaki entered into the Declaration of Principles, which cites ‘security assurances and commitments’ to Iraq.
“I introduced Iraq legislation (H.R. 5128) yesterday, which disapproves of any formal agreement emerging from the Declaration of Principles that does not have the approval of both the House and Senate, expresses that that the Iraqi Parliament should also have strict guidelines for similar agreements and prohibits funding for any agreement that may emerge from these principles without consulting Congress.
“There is growing concern that this administration will bypass Congress and set in place long-term agreements, especially regarding the disposition of our troops in Iraq. My bill reaffirms the work of Congress to prohibit a long-term military presence in Iraq and reiterates that any agreements regarding the long-term disposition of US troops in Iraq, not approved by Congress, are contrary to existing law.
“In the case of Iran, Congress we must work to prevent another pre-emptive war by putting pressure on President Bush to adopt a robust diplomatic solution. Last week, I introduced the Iran Diplomatic Accountability Act (H.R. 5056), which calls for the appointment of a high-level United States representative or special envoy for Iran for the purpose of easing tensions and normalizing relations between the United States and Iran. Direct, unconditional, bilateral, and comprehensive talks with the government of Iran is the only way to tackle the issues with Iran. A well-qualified representative, working to complement the multilateral talks will go a long way to help peacefully address the volatility in the region.”
Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Oakland-D) is co-chair of the Progressive Caucus and a co-founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus. She sits on the House Appropriations Committee, where she serves on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Subcommittee, the State Foreign Operations Subcommittee and is Vice-Chair of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.
Barbara Lee Introduces New Iraq & Iran Legislation
For Immediate Release: January 24, 2008Contact: Cleve Mesidor, (202) 225-2661
(Washington, DC) – Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) released the following statement regarding the new legislative measures she has introduced on Iraq and Iran:
“As co-founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus and co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, I stand firm that this Republican administration must stop the war rhetoric and adopt a real foreign policy that pursues real diplomatic avenues to resolve the challenges in Iraq and Iran.
“For months, military experts have confirmed what we already know - there is no military solution to the problems in Iraq. So there is no need for a long term military presence, meaning no permanent bases.
“Although the president has five times signed into law bills that include provisions prohibiting permanent military bases in Iraq, last November President Bush and Iraqi Prime Minister al-Malaki entered into the Declaration of Principles, which cites ‘security assurances and commitments’ to Iraq.
“I introduced Iraq legislation (H.R. 5128) yesterday, which disapproves of any formal agreement emerging from the Declaration of Principles that does not have the approval of both the House and Senate, expresses that that the Iraqi Parliament should also have strict guidelines for similar agreements and prohibits funding for any agreement that may emerge from these principles without consulting Congress.
“There is growing concern that this administration will bypass Congress and set in place long-term agreements, especially regarding the disposition of our troops in Iraq. My bill reaffirms the work of Congress to prohibit a long-term military presence in Iraq and reiterates that any agreements regarding the long-term disposition of US troops in Iraq, not approved by Congress, are contrary to existing law.
“In the case of Iran, Congress we must work to prevent another pre-emptive war by putting pressure on President Bush to adopt a robust diplomatic solution. Last week, I introduced the Iran Diplomatic Accountability Act (H.R. 5056), which calls for the appointment of a high-level United States representative or special envoy for Iran for the purpose of easing tensions and normalizing relations between the United States and Iran. Direct, unconditional, bilateral, and comprehensive talks with the government of Iran is the only way to tackle the issues with Iran. A well-qualified representative, working to complement the multilateral talks will go a long way to help peacefully address the volatility in the region.”
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Oakland-D) is co-chair of the Progressive Caucus and a co-founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus. She sits on the House Appropriations Committee, where she serves on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Subcommittee, the State Foreign Operations Subcommittee and is Vice-Chair of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.