Representative Waters Calls Iraq Funding "Unacceptable"

Today, the Out of Iraq Caucus held a press conference to discuss their opposition to the impending Iraq war supplemental funding bill. The press conference was hosted by the Chair of the Out of Iraq Caucus Rep. Maxine Waters, with co-founders Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey.  Other Members were in attendance, as well as representatives from anti-war peace organizations.  Rep. Waters released the following statement:

"The war supplemental package to be voted on soon is unacceptable.  This package will give President Bush a $170 billion check to continue pursuing his mismanaged and misguided adventure in Iraq as he sees fit.

"While I expect there to be some language contained in this package that I support, the American people are demanding a real change in policy toward Iraq, and they demand more from Congress than what we are to vote on today.  We cannot abdicate our constitutional oversight responsibility over the Administration's war. 

"As we begin our sixth year of war, this supplemental bill for the war does not do enough to end the war.  This bill does not do enough because there are more American troops in Iraq than when the surge began almost a year and a half ago while we are told that our military is stretched to its breaking point.  This bill does not do enough because 52 Americans were killed in Iraq in April, making it the deadliest month since September '07.  This bill does not do enough because we are already spending $245 million a day in Iraq.  This bill does not do enough because it ignores the 5 million Iraqi refugees and internally displaced persons.  This bill does not do enough because over a hundred thousand military contractors remain above the law in Iraq.  This bill does not do enough because it doesn't begin to encourage reconciliation among the Iraqi people.

"Most glaringly, this bill does not do enough because it does not recognize that there is no military solution to the problems of Iraq.  We cannot continue to referee an Iraqi civil war.

"Instead of fully funding President Bush's war request, we should fully fund the withdrawal of our military from Iraq, and bring our troops home safe and sound.  I cannot in good conscience support legislation that will continue funding the war in Iraq without a significant change in policy.  I cannot support this supplemental.  The only acceptable solution remains the fully funded redeployment of all of our troops and military contractors from Iraq."

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