In a statement just sent to The BRAD BLOG, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) says he is prepared to up the ante in the fight with the White House in light of Bush’s spending bill veto, and will be proposing that war funding be cut off by a date certain as part of the next spending bill sent to the White House.
Feingold adds that his previously proposed legislation, known as the Feingold-Reid Bill (S. 1077), had a number of co-sponsors already on board in the Senate, and that the same language would be used for his proposed amendment to the Senate’s new supplemental spending bill.
His statement just in to The BRAD BLOG:
In addition to Reid’s support of the original bill, the co-sponsors already on board as listed at Feingold’s website include Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chris Dodd (D-CT), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Ted Kennedy (D-MA), John Kerry (D-MA), Pat Leahy (D-VT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
It’s not yet known if the same Senators will support the bill as an amendment to the next supplemental spending bill or not, according to a Feingold spokesman tonight.
The legislation includes a few caveats sure to be ignored by the wingnuts when they begin to attack it, so we’ll point them out here. Namely, that Feingold’s bill will not cut off funding for the purpose of:
- “conduct[ing] targeted operations…against members of al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations”;
- “security for United States infrastructure and personnel”; or
- “to train and equip Iraqi security services”
CLARIFICATION: An earlier version of this story was unclear about the differences between the two versions of Feingold’s legislation. Feingold’s original legislation, supported by 10 Senators in all, and quoted in full below, will be used as the basis — “likely with identical language,” according to a Feingold spokesperson — as an amendment to the new supplemental spending bill in the Senate. At the moment, it’s unclear what that new supplemental will look like. We thank the Feingold staffer who contacted us late tonight with the clarification.
The full text of Feingold’s straight forward proposed legislation follows below…
(a) Transition of Mission – The President shall promptly transition the mission of United States forces in Iraq to the limited purposes set forth in subsection (d).
(b) Commencement of Safe, Phased Redeployment from Iraq – The President shall commence the safe, phased redeployment of United States forces from Iraq that are not essential to the purposes set forth in subsection (d). Such redeployment shall begin not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(c) Prohibition on Use of Funds – No funds appropriated or otherwise made available under any provision of law may be obligated or expended to continue the deployment in Iraq of members of the United States Armed Forces after March 31, 2008.
(d) Exception for Limited Purposes – The prohibition under subsection (c) shall not apply to the obligation or expenditure of funds for the limited purposes as follows:
(1) To conduct targeted operations, limited in duration and scope, against members of al Qaeda and other international terrorist organizations.
(2) To provide security for United States infrastructure and personnel.
(3) To train and equip Iraqi security services.
Hey Brad,
Josh Marshall has a nice video summary of Bradley Schlozman’s suspicious (possibly criminal) behavior regarding voting rights:
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.co...ves/014029.php
– Tom
…and it will be veto’ed
Any republicans that think they can get elected or reelected without supporting this legislation are brain dead!
Yes KKKarl, stealing elections is getting harder and harder.
Well, its about freakin’ time that we had a Congressional “Leader” actually take the first steps to LEAD US OUT!
Well done Russ! K&R
Feingold has always been a lunatic here in Wisconsin.
Most are sick of him but he manages to bring in a lot of other people’s tax money to Wisconsin so most vote their pocket book.
A Vietnam veteran and Airborne iinfantryman who walked the point every third day in the I-Corp salutes Senator Feingold who has walked the point on so many issues for freedom loving Americans! This is probably the best practical bill for the Senate and I hope that it is blessed every step of the way. Thanks again for standing firm and making the enemy squirm!
This is complete bullshit (March 08′?)
If Democrats had even a single ball between them they would say all funds will be cut off in 3 months period and if you veto it you Treasonous POS we will Impeach your ass.
This Bullshit bill is basically giving the Rethuglicans and this illegitimate administration exactly what it wants.
They need to start Impeachment proceedings immediately, until they do NOTHING is going to be accomplished. These treasonous war criminals must be held accountable, sadly it will be up to “We the People” to put our collective heels on their throats and force them to do their dawg damn Constitutional duty.
It’s worse than just spinelessness! It’s that neither Democrats nor Republicans in Congress rate the fact of the anguish, injury and death (at the hands of Americans or on account of Americans) in the world even on a par with their own political gamesmanship. It’s filthy, despicable, and un-American to stand for another minute of it when we KNOW we were lied into it and there IS no Constitutional ground for our presence in Iraq. Feingold is engaging in this politicking in the face of clear and present certainty that Americans are torturing, killing, incarcerating without due process not just some but many innocent people… and giving Big Oil every possible chance to get that damn oil law passed before our forces are pulled out when it will most profit one party or the other in their campaigns. The party has come right out and said that they want to make * and the whole Republican party OWN this mess so they can triumph at the polls in 2008. Who wants to draw up the statistics on how many Iraqi and American lives that unspeakably inhumane stance costs in real numbers?
I’m old enough to be wary of magical quick fixes. If magic works why didn’t Clean Gene get the nomination in ’68?
I think Feingold & Reid are in good stead with this steady but not slow insistence. When you’re carrying a giant tureen of hot soup, enough for ten people, it’s wise to watch your step, bluster & fine words aside.
Yeah, these criminals need to be impeached, and truth be known, imprisoned. But it won’t happen without the people behind us. Sure-footedness is essential, and proper laying of the groundwork.
I’m not where I feel I have to be ashamed of Reid or Pelosi, so far, dammit. Frankly, I’m encouraged by this. Feingold has been on the ball all along, for that matter.
this is a step in the right direction. Iran, Syria and other arab states in the region must be engaged (as distasteful as this is) to help us get our soldiers back in this country to rest and rebuild. The ongoing privatization of this war will also contribute to a mega-police state and threatens the very basis of our republic and constitutional form of government. Our government has been hijacked by a fanatic military industrial group whom have no rules or care anything about the people in this country or anywhere for that matter. Power, weapons production, black op programs, secret surveillance systems, chemical aerial spray programs,police control, voting manipulation, tasers, new uneccessary weapons systems, you name it. None of which is needed and one modern nuclear detonation would put this planet into a nuclear winter and contaminate the atmosphere for all. These flacid old men whom run this complex and sit on the boards of these corporations and media organizations are dangerous criminals of the worst kind.
I don’t know where you live number 5, but, he is well respected in this part of Wisconsin. He is one of the smartest people we have in this state and proud of him. It’s to bad he isn’t running for President, he would get my vote in a minute.
I WANT MY DEMOCRACY BACK – the RULE OF LAW would be a GREAT START.
JUST PUT EVERYTHING IN ONE BIG BILL THAT BASICALLY —
UN-DOES THE HORROR OF THIS (s)elected CABAL.
My Father, a 20 year Green Beret with 2 tours of Nam, then 10 years as an ex-pat for the Middle East, told me as he lay dying of Agent Orange exposure… that “we have WAR in this Country FOR PROFIT”.
He and many others of THE PEOPLE PARTY – not – THE CORPORATE PARTY – did not put their lives and health on the line… to have our DEMOCRACY and hard earned rights… destroyed.
Please, support withdrawal – support IMPEACHMENT & JAIL. These WAR CRIMINALS should go to JAIL. It appears to be the ONLY WAY to start the cleanup…
We are the people who run this country. We are the deciders. And every single day, every single one of us needs to step outside and take some action to help stop this war. Molly Ivins (1944-2007)
p.s. Yes, I have skin in the game.
My Nephew has been sitting on a HOT Navy Ship off the coast of Iran for a while now…
I thought, when this all started up, that the soldiers on the front line were MY PEOPLE… meaning AMERICAN with a “c”. And I thought that ALL AMERICANS felt the same way.
Sadly, I find that ELITISM and CASH matter more than … arghhhhhh
If/When we start to pull out of Iraq, who wants to bet that a lot of Republicans will sudenly start to realize and point out how much of a disaster Iraq is. But, until then, it’s going great over there. Purple fingers, yada yada blah blah blah.
I’ve been driving around with this for about a year now.
Dang, I guess we can’t post pictures here. I saw the picture in the preview, but then it disappeared after I posted the comment. You guys will just have to wonder what it was.
A pertinent picture….
…just in to The BRAD BLOG:
“members of Congress shouldn’t delay action to end this misguided war for weeks or even months just for the sake of political comfort. That is why, when the Senate takes up the Iraq supplemental, I plan to offer the Feingold-Reid bill as an amendment to force the President to safely redeploy our troops by March 31, 2008 at which point funding for the war would be cut off.”
Somewhat good news I guess. But they say Congress “shouldn’t delay”, and then they delay for almost a year ending the Occupation.
In April 2007 115 soldiers died = 3.83/day.
That DELAY of 329 days from today will result in 1,261 soldiers [assuming present rates] being not-so-safely “redeployed” 6 feet under.
You can’t WIN an illegal OCCUPATION.
Keep calling. We are having an effect… just not enough yet. End the war NOW.
Not another nickel
Not another dime
Not another soldier
Not this time
– Maxine Waters
BRAVO! Sure 3/08 is too late, but this shows Congress has balls! (Well, some of ’em.) It’s all about public opinion, and the public must raise its voice. Congress listens, if enough people speak up, there will be change. This helps. All guns (sorry) out, keep building momentum against the administration… As long as Americans are quiet, progress will be incredibly slow… Everyone must speak up. Call your rep, send a fax, all better than e-mail, but that’s better than nothing. Get involved! And donate if you can. It’s gonna take money to remove the rich from running/ruining this country and our lives.
Benjamin 075 – nice pic, glad you figured out how to post.
Hand counted paper ballots only and out of Iraq now and no protection of US infrastructure there, i.e. that humongous base and all the other bases and don’t forget the jails. Just use Ambassadors with an embassy as per usual with all other countries. Do it now, not later. At least thou, some are trying to get things moving which is approved but push R’s harder and harder each time. What a sad state of affairs…..guess we never learn from the War machines.
Thanks Russ for not being a coward. If many of our Senators and Representatives had not been cowards and said “no” to this president we wouldn’t be in this horrible mess.
How long can the troops realize who’s REALLY against them? We, who want this stopped now, are smeared by the corporate fascists as “against the troops”. Are the troops actually falling for this? Let’s hear from them…
Hannity and Limbaugh are for “death to our troops”.
Are people who listen to their shows, falling for their BULLSHIT of their self-proclaimed patriotism and self-proclaimed conservatism? Enough is enough! This war was based on lies, Bush and his whole cabinet should be thrown in jail (not just impeached), and all the war profiteers should be thrown in jail. All their torture they condoned, should be wrought upon them, to see how they like it.
Maybe Hannity and Limbaugh should spend some time in Abu Ghraib, and experience the torture and death they pimp daily upon others, including our own troops.
Is this the same Russ Feingold who along with John McBrainless gave us The McCain – Feingold Bill , which was touted as a major victory against POW torture , only to be pronounced dead by the President’s signing statement accompanying his signing the legislation into law .
If this bill really meant anything significant to either of it’s authors , you would not know , as with knowledge of the President’s signing statement , neither McCain or Feingold muttered as much as a whimper .
This is just more empty political posturing , with the results being more political smoke , with no actual results or action .
What is really going on is the fight to win the White House in 2008 and nothing more . These people , whether Republican or Democrat could care less about our troops , Iraqi civilians or capturing Osama . Corporations play the fiddle and the politicians on both sides of the aisle dance to the same tune . If any of these people really represented any of us or our troops , we would have seen the beginning of impeachment proceedings over a year ago .
I think you have your bills confused. I don’t believe McCain/Feingold had anything to do with torture, it was campaign finance. And I don’t recall Russ having anything to do with McCains’s sham of a torture bill. And in regards to an earlier comment, “Most people in Wisconsin are sick of Feingold”, I’m not sure which Wisconsin you are talking about. Have you ever been to one of his many listening sessions? I’ve found the only people that diss Feingold on any blog or anywhere else, don’t have a clue about him. Just spouting off bs with no clue to the truth. It’s sickening. Thank you Russ for making a stand and trying to get us and our troops out of this mess. This country is in deep trouble, I applaud you for trying to fix it. Most days it seems you are the only one actually doing the job you were elected to do. The majority of Wisconsin is deeply proud of you, and so is the rest of the country.
Also, it isn’t anyone’s fault that Dumbya attaches “signing statements” to bills, that’s Dumbya’s responsibility, he’s the Decider and the buck is supposed to stop with him. You don’t not pass bills because the Decider will veto them or attach a “signing statement”. You do what is right.
The easiest thing for Congress to do is just not even bring up a new supplemental spending bill. After all, Bush vetoed it, so evidently he doesn’t really want the money. So, just don’t bring it up for a vote. You then don’t have to override a veto or anything. Simple. No bill, no money.
To Robyn ,
Thank you for the correction on McCain/Feingold . Yes , my poor cobwebbed mind had the McCain/Feingold bill and the McCain Anti-Torture Bill confused . Beyond that confusion , I stand by the remainder of my comments .
Did McCain/Feingold change anything of any magnitude in respect to campaign finance ? No and if anything was accomplished , it only worsened the situation of campaign financing . The wealthy politicians circumvent the legislation – some sooooooo dirt rich that they can self-finance campaigns . I would love to know , if truth be told , how many senators and members of Congress today have personal worth of less than $100,000.00 .
The ONLY WAY to change the deployment of our Troops in Iraq , plus correction of the myriad of other misdeeds , screw-ups , obscene politicization of every federal agency and department , blatant corruption , blatant dishonesty , etc. of this Medusa of an Administration is to cut off it’s ugly head .
Impeach !
Russ Feingold might be a wonderful person , but at this low point in American Political history (How much lower can the situation get ? ) ,I have a difficult time with trusting the LOWEST paid clerk in Washington , let alone our King and the Royal Boys & Girls in Congress . Fenigolds proposition looks great on paper , but that is the extent of what will transpire from this latest chapter of political posturing .
The only person in Washington to put forth a viable solution to our presence in Iraq is Congressman Charles B.Rangel . His proposition is to invoke military drafting . Maybe if the Draft were instituted , Americans would hopefully get away from the television screen and take to the streets and do for themselves what the folks in Washington are supposed to do – REPRESENT THEM – ADVOCATE FOR THEM – FIGHT FOR THEM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I had previously estimated that republican congress members would not fold up their stubborn adherence to bushie doctrine of stubbornness.
I could have been wrong, at least about some of them:
(Raw Story, emphasis added). What is not clear is how many of those republicans are Senate members and how many are House members.
And lest we forget, it will not be an independent group that will determine “whether the surge is working or not”, it will be General Patraeus, who will be saying “I failed” if the “surge does not work”.
If 11 republicans in the Senate turn from neoCon into old time thinking republicans, that will mean no more filibuster in the Senate. Huge. But I am not holding my breath.