October 15, 2003
Washington, DC – With opposition to President Bush’s latest installment on the war in Iraq mounting, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today led a press conference that brought together a coalition of Democrats opposed to the President’s appropriations request. Although only 12 Members of Congress voted against Bush’s first request of $78 billion package, including Lee, that number is expected to be dramatically higher when the vote occurs today. Yesterday, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that she would vote against the bill.
Lee issued the following statement: “We are here today to tell the President that we refuse to sign his blank check to continue a failed foreign policy that has needlessly caused hundreds of lives and deepened an economic downturn that began on Day 1 of the Bush Presidency.”
“Like all of my colleagues, I support our troops. As the daughter of a career Army officer, I could do nothing less. 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.”
We do not protect our troops and Congress will not have done its job if we blindly sign this $87 billion check. Nor have we had an adequate accounting of how the last $78 billion was spent. 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 had choices before, and we have choices now. 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.”
“I stand here today to tell you that I will not sign the President’s blank check, I will not pay for another installment on a failed foreign policy centered on the doctrine of preemption.”
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Leads Press Conference Against President Bush’s $87 Billion Supplemental Appropriations
Vote on Bill Expected Tonight
Washington, DC – With opposition to President Bush’s latest installment on the war in Iraq mounting, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) today led a press conference that brought together a coalition of Democrats opposed to the President’s appropriations request. Although only 12 Members of Congress voted against Bush’s first request of $78 billion package, including Lee, that number is expected to be dramatically higher when the vote occurs today. Yesterday, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) announced that she would vote against the bill.
Lee issued the following statement: “We are here today to tell the President that we refuse to sign his blank check to continue a failed foreign policy that has needlessly caused hundreds of lives and deepened an economic downturn that began on Day 1 of the Bush Presidency.”
“Like all of my colleagues, I support our troops. As the daughter of a career Army officer, I could do nothing less. 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.”
We do not protect our troops and Congress will not have done its job if we blindly sign this $87 billion check. Nor have we had an adequate accounting of how the last $78 billion was spent. 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 had choices before, and we have choices now. 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.”
“I stand here today to tell you that I will not sign the President’s blank check, I will not pay for another installment on a failed foreign policy centered on the doctrine of preemption.”
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