Our Congress SHAMED our country today

[Terran1212]

Did anyone see what happened in the House today?

A congressman from Wisconsin, Congressman Obey, introduced an amendment to the foreign appropriations bill that would've cut 100 million dollars from the Egyptian budget (in response to Mubarak's dictatorship and repression) and given 50 million dollars to Darfur aid and 50 million dollars more to HIV/AIDS protection work.

Many congressmen got up to the podium and spoke eloquently in favor of the "Obey Amendement" -- saying that we needed to stand up for democracy and human rights by fighting HIV and helping people in Darfur rather than funding a corrupt dictatorship, a fascist. Mostly members of the Black congressional Caucus did this. One member even invoked God, saying that on Judgement Day we'd be asked why we did nothing to help Darfur.

But the Amendment failed. A pleasant suprise: nearly 80% of Democrats voted for it. Unfortunately, about the same number of Republicans voted against it.

Democracy, human rights, freedom -- basic dignity towards our fellow human beings -- they pale in comparison to having US puppet state led by a fanatic, don't they? What do you think the Arab world will think of us after this step? Did these rich white guys in suits in Congress, safe from AIDS and Genocide and Mubarak's secret police -- did they think they won a big battle in the "war on terror" by rejecting a small cut in funding in Mubarak's bank-money and sentencing thousands to death in Africa (where that 100 million dollars would've made a huge difference?)

This is pathetic. Our Congress is morally bankrupt. They're thugs. I want every person who voted against this Amendment out of their seat in November. This is not American.

[acmejack]

1. Or perhaps that is the problem, it is all too American.

When I first went overseas it didn't take me long at all to understand from whence the term "Ugly American" came.

[Terran1212]

2. Having been overseas myself, I understand

It's American in that its the position our government often takes -- but I don't know if it's consistent with our people's values.

[LiviaOlivia]

3. They gotta pay Egypt for it's secret prisons

and torture.

[Terran1212]

5. The most hopeful thing to me is that

The amendment did fail but not by a huge margin. It was maybe 30-40 votes margin of failure.

There are Congressmen willing to stand up for what is right, and that is important.

[sinkingfeeling]

4. Yes, they will continue to shame us until, we, the people, take back our

country. We must continue to call these militant so-called Christians on their support of death and corruption.

[Terran1212]

6. I really hope we can

[Terran1212]

8. You can read news article about the event here

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/08/AR2006060801344.html

[Ivan Sputnik]

7. It's no longer "our" Congress

Like the rest of the Federal government, it's been corrupted by big-money interests and an ideology that doesn't represent the majority of this country.

[halobeam]

9. Once again, very sad indeed.

I need to look up how each member voted... then start writing letters and using my neverending big fat mouth...lol.

[PaDem]

10. The only time Human Rights is important to Republicans........

is when they want to raid another country's resources.

[Terran1212]

11. Unfortunately often a bipartisan consensus

[PaDem]

12. True......

I almost reflected that in my post.

[Terran1212]

14. All the Dems who voted against the Amendment

Hope they lose their primaries or get ousted by independents or Greens.

[spanone]

13. Those poor people don't vote and they don't control oil.

Therefore congress could give a shit. Pathetic is too kind.

[cantstandbush]

15. I'll ask again: Why not cut Israel's aid? They have thumbed their noses

at the US far too long by building more settlements in the West Bank (after saying they wouldn't), they spied against the US and sold information to God knows who, they refuse any inspections of their nuke programs, during Apartheid they sold weapons to the So. African government against US policies, they bulldoze Palestinian homes, take their water and other resources, take away their jobs, and send bombs to kill individuals without any proof of guilt and kill innocent civilian in the process (sound familiar?), and all the while we keep sending them more and more weapons and increasing their financial aid. WTF? The soldiers dying in Iraq right now and in any future war with Iran will be a direct result of US foreign policy that is controlled largley by the Israeli government.

[Terran1212]

16. AIPAC says no

[kath]

17. Is there a list of so-called "Democrats" who voted against it?

[WePurrsevere]

18. Here's a link to the Roll Call Vote... 46 Dems voted against it...

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll236.xml

[WePurrsevere]

19. Here's a list of the 46 Dems who voted against it....

From here: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll236.xml

Baird
Bishop (GA)
Boren
Brown, Corrine
Capps
Chandler
Cleaver
Cramer
Cuellar
Dicks
Dingell
Green, Gene
Hinchey
Inslee
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Johnson, E. B.
Jones (OH)
Kanjorski
Kaptur
Kilpatrick (MI)
Kucinich
Lipinski
Lofgren, Zoe
Lynch
Marshall
Matsui
McDermott
McKinney
Mollohan
Moore (WI)
Murtha
Ortiz
Pastor
Peterson (MN)
Pomeroy
Price (NC)
Rahall
Ruppersberger
Sanchez, Loretta
Serrano
Skelton
Smith (WA)
Taylor (MS)
Waters
Wu

~*~*~*~*~*~
I was a bit surprised to see Kucinich as a "No"... I wonder why he voted against it.

[Terran1212]

20. Very disappointed Kucinich and Jackson Lee would vote against it

Usually very progressive people. Sheila Jackson Lee actually was arrested at the Sudanese embassy.

[Pacifist Patriot]

21. Why would McKinney have voted against it as well?

I too am surprised by some of the names.

[Terran1212]

22. Probably something going on here that we have not foreseen

[Pacifist Patriot]

23. That's just it and why I hesitate to get wrapped around the axle...

unless I know a heck of a lot more. Who knows what else was involved. Amendments make my head spin sometimes.

[Terran1212]

26. I did watch the debate

And I saw Jackson Lee actually speak against it but just the end of her speech. Maybe someone more antiquated with the two of them can explain, because all of the other liberal humanitarians in Congress voted for it.

[Terran1212]

27. going to kick this

[IronLionZion]

24. But where would the money really go?

if you answer "To the people of Africa who desperately need it of course!" You'd be horribly wrong.

Appropriating millions of dollars for a noble cause, but then handing it to Bush's campaign donors in Big Pharma is a cruel but all too usual practice. Bush made a big show of "giving more aid to Africa" but very little medicine actually made it to Africa.

We could send a hell of a lot more medicine if we allow companies worldwide to bid for the contracts. It's sick that our Republican government is so militantly against free market competition.

[Jack Rabbit]

25. You mean . . .

Our Congress SHAMED our country again.

[sweetheart]

28. "dictatorship and repression" IS the new america

The congress is merely following their new american instinct.

USSR, Hapsburg, British Commonwealth, 3rd Reich, French Empire, Dutch Empire

6 empires have gone down in the last 60 years, let there be a 7th wet fart.

[tjwash]

29. Again? I'm losing count they've fucked everyone so many times now.

And prez'nit cuckoo-bananas has STILL yet to veto anything.