October 16, 2003
Washington, DC – Rallying Democratic forces to oppose President Bush’s latest installment on the war in Iraq, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) spearheaded an effort to send a message to the President that his policy against Iraq is fundamentally flawed. Although only 12 Members of Congress, including Lee, voted against Bush’s first request of $78 billion package in April, today’s tally included 125 Representatives voting against the bill.
“I am very excited by the results of today’s vote,” said Lee. “I knew that the popular sentiment among Americans has been that we cannot support a failed foreign policy that has needlessly caused the loss of hundreds of lives. These results show that the public is educating the Congress on this issue.”
“Like all of my colleagues, I support our troops. My heart and prayers go out to our troops and their families. I want to see them safe at home and reunited as soon as possible, and I want them to receive all the benefits they deserve.”
“But we would not have done our job if we blindly signed this $87 billion check. We still do not have anything close to sufficient proof to support the allegations raised by the Administration that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States. We do not have an exit strategy that leads the Iraqi people to control of their own government, their own resources, and their own obligations and that leads us out of this quagmire. We could have pursued containment, inspections, and multilateralism and saved hundreds of American lives and potentially hundreds of billions of dollars.”
“We have urgent unmet needs here at home. We have schools here that need to be reconstructed, housing that needs to be built, and jobs that need to be created. We should not appropriate another cent without a clear vision of how and when the United Nations will assume real authority over the political and economic transition in Iraq and how and when American troops will be coming home.”
“We must not pay for another installment on a failed foreign policy centered on the doctrine of preemption.”
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Applauds 125 Votes Against President Bush’s $87 Billion Appropriations Package for Iraq
Number of “no” votes is 10 times larger than the votes on the first Iraq installment
Washington, DC – Rallying Democratic forces to oppose President Bush’s latest installment on the war in Iraq, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) spearheaded an effort to send a message to the President that his policy against Iraq is fundamentally flawed. Although only 12 Members of Congress, including Lee, voted against Bush’s first request of $78 billion package in April, today’s tally included 125 Representatives voting against the bill.
“I am very excited by the results of today’s vote,” said Lee. “I knew that the popular sentiment among Americans has been that we cannot support a failed foreign policy that has needlessly caused the loss of hundreds of lives. These results show that the public is educating the Congress on this issue.”
“Like all of my colleagues, I support our troops. My heart and prayers go out to our troops and their families. I want to see them safe at home and reunited as soon as possible, and I want them to receive all the benefits they deserve.”
“But we would not have done our job if we blindly signed this $87 billion check. We still do not have anything close to sufficient proof to support the allegations raised by the Administration that Iraq posed an imminent threat to the United States. We do not have an exit strategy that leads the Iraqi people to control of their own government, their own resources, and their own obligations and that leads us out of this quagmire. We could have pursued containment, inspections, and multilateralism and saved hundreds of American lives and potentially hundreds of billions of dollars.”
“We have urgent unmet needs here at home. We have schools here that need to be reconstructed, housing that needs to be built, and jobs that need to be created. We should not appropriate another cent without a clear vision of how and when the United Nations will assume real authority over the political and economic transition in Iraq and how and when American troops will be coming home.”
“We must not pay for another installment on a failed foreign policy centered on the doctrine of preemption.”
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