The U.S. House has finally found something they can agree on. They want President Obama to remove U.S. troops from Iraq.
In an overwhelming bi-partisan vote on Friday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a Concurrent Resolution [PDF], which, pursuant to Section 5(c) of the War Powers Act, directs “the President to remove United States Armed Forces, other than Armed Forces required to protect United States diplomatic facilities and personnel from Iraq” within 30 days, unless it is unsafe to do so.
Section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution states:
The bi-partisan Resolution, adopted by a 370 to 40 vote, was introduced by Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA), Walter Jones (R-NC) and Barbara Lee (D-CA).
Last month, the President authorized up to 300 more U.S. troops to be sent to Iraq as military advisers in the wake of the takeover of a number of Iraqi cities by militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). That brought the total of U.S. troops in the nation to more than 800.
Win Without War, a national coalition of anti-war organizations, released a statement describing today’s vote as “a strong message to President Obama that there is no authorization for any escalation of US military involvement in Iraq.”
“After nearly 13 years of trying to solve such challenges militarily in Iraq and Afghanistan, with little success, the American people simply do not support another war in the Middle East,” the group said in their statement. “Instead, we hope today’s clear message against military escalation will encourage the President to double down on diplomatic efforts and a robust humanitarian response.”
While the House Resolution is directed to the President, it also represents a stinging rebuke to GOP war hawk Senators like John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsay Graham (R-SC). Earlier this month the pair criticized the President for refusing to reach an agreement with the Iraqi government after he came to office, which would have “kept U.S. troops there”, following George W. Bush’s Status of Forces Agreement struck with Iraq in 2008. That agreement called for the removal of all U.S. forces from Iraq by the end of 2011.
The vote on Friday is believed to be largely symbolic, however, as it would require similar passage in the U.S. Senate, where Senators like McCain and Graham would likely seek to block a vote on the matter. Then, again, matters could lead to a “politics-make-strange-bedfellows” moment if Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rand Paul (R-KY) were to come together in support of the Concurrent Resolution.
Amusing how easy it is to get a bi-partisan vote against the President for reasonable stuff…so long as the President is a Democrat, eh?
Yeh.
Thanks, Ernest. Note, Lindsay Graham is a South Carolina, not a North Carolina Senator.
Bubbleville antics keep me guessing what they will do on any given day.
Thanks for the coverage.
Thanks for catching the error, George Govus. I’ve made the correction.
NOW the Congress exercises its Constitutional power over waging war?
I smell a rat. Despite the vote, the GOP will bash Obama over this vote and others just to score electoral advantages this fall. Obama’s inept handling of the Presidency will turn the Senate over to the GOP, and then all hell breaks out. We’ll be praying for Wall Street/Walmart Hillary to rescue us from Tea Bagger Evil!
Gerrymandered congress – sort of – takes responsibility for war under a Democratic president.
Baby steps.
Wouldn’t a Non-binding resolution be an oxymoron?
Re Larry Bergen @7:
Am I missing something, Larry? I didn’t write that this was a “non-binding” resolution. Under Section 5(c) of the War Powers Act, this concurrent resolution would be “binding” if it was passed by the Senate.
The President would be legally obligated to remove all troops, excluding those guarding the Embassy and Embassy personnel unless it were unsafe to do so. That, as I see it, would mean the removal of military advisers.
Of course, that doesn’t say anything about CIA officers and private mercenaries.
As long as organizations continue to rename themselves. I guess we have a problem.
Ah..The key words that explain why they got such a huge vote result!
……from Iraq” within 30 days, unless it is unsafe to do so.
Prissy Lindsey Graham & senile old McCain will block this in the Senate.