Pressure Since Last Vote Has Impact: Rep. McNearny to Vote No

[babylonsister]

http://www.afterdowningstreet.org/?q=node/22894

Pressure Since Last Vote Has Impact: Rep. McNearny to Vote No
Submitted by davidswanson on Thu, 2007-05-24 20:16. Congress

Rep. Jerry McNearny on Why He'll Vote No:

"Our troops have done everything we have asked of them. They have put their lives on the line in service to our country.

"They deserve our utmost respect and real leadership from the Congress.

"For our troops and their families, for our nation, we need a new direction in Iraq.

"That is why I cannot vote for a bill that does not include enforceable benchmarks, a reasonable timetable for redeploying our troops from Iraq , or the requirements for providing the training and equipment our men and women in uniform need.

"I cannot support another blank check for the President.

"Beginning in January this new Congress began the process of implementing new policies, of bringing accountability to the conduct of this war, and of forging a new direction in Iraq . That is what the American people demanded.

"Yet, this supplemental funding plan is a step backwards because it is a blank check for the President. I have consistently called for real benchmarks and a reasonable redeployment timetable. This bill provides neither.

"Critically, the bill includes no provisions to ensure that our troops are prepared, rested, and ready for the battles they must wage - a rejection of the Pentagon's own standards.

"Not only that, but this bill includes no requirement to use diplomacy to create the framework to end this conflict, the course recommended by the Iraq Study Group. And there is no plan to reduce the tremendous strain on our military or to refocus our nation's efforts on the broader war on terror.

"Supporting our troops means providing our men and women in uniform all of the means necessary to carry out their mission and bring a responsible close to the conflict in Iraq . This bill does not do that and I cannot support it."

[mmonk]

1. Good words and vote.

Hope it wasn't a count and trade vote. Anyway, sounds good. We need to keep pressuring them.

[POAS]

2. Anybody know if there is a projected vote count anywhere?

[babylonsister]

3. I haven't seen one, but you might want to check this out if you haven't:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=960843&mesg_id=960843