First,
the Bad News ...
Rushing through debate in order to get out of town for the St. Patrick's Day Recess, the House passed Bush's $92 billion Emergency Supplemental Appropriation request. The request included $19 billion for
hurricane relief, which caused some Representatives to vote against the bill.
While stories of contractor abuse and mismanagement have been numerous, the house rebuffed three attempts to establish some sort of oversight over government contracting. Rep. Obey (D-WI), Rep. Kaptur (D-OH) and Rep. Waxman (D-CA) each introduced measures on oversight.
Silver
Lining:
In a voice vote, the House
approved the Lee-Allen-Hinchey-Schakowsky Amendment, assuring that "None of the funds in this Act may be used by the US government to enter into a basing rights agreement between the United States and Iraq." This victory is a direct result of the pressure the peace movement.
Silver
Lining (2):
Although the House passed
the supplemental spending bill, we can take heart in the 71 votes against the bill. Last year only 43 members of the House were willing to stand up against
the war.
Next Steps:
1. The Senate
The
Senate will begin to consider the supplemental appropriation on March 30, aiming to finish before their Spring Recess (April 7–24). The Senate is generally more willing and able
to consider amendments to appropriations bills, and we can expect a "No Permanent Bases" amendment to be offered in the Senate. Your Senators will be in their home states March 17–26, make sure they hear from you. Your message: Support a "No Permanent Bases" amendment, and vote against any appropriation for the War in Iraq.
2. Over 600 events protesting the 3rd Anniversary of the War
Add or strengthen the legislative component of your 3rd Anniversary event:
Who Voted
No
(52 Democrats, 19 Republicans) -- Dems are in italics
Roll call vote: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll065.xml
Abercrombie
Baldwin
Blackburn
Blumenauer
Campbell (CA)
Cannon
Capps
Clay
Coble
Conyers
Cooper
Costello
Cubin
Deal (GA)
Eshoo
Farr
Flake
Frank (MA)
Gohmert
Grijalva
Gutierrez
Hensarling
Hinchey
Holt
Inslee
Jackson-Lee (TX)
Johnson, Sam
King (IA)
Kucinich
Lee
Lewis (GA)
Maloney
Markey
McCollum (MN)
McDermott
McGovern
McHenry
McKinney
McNulty
Meehan
Michaud
Miller, George
Moore (WI)
Neal (MA)
Neugebauer
Olver
Owens
Pallone
Paul
Payne
Pence
Petri
Rangel
Rothman
Schakowsky
Sensenbrenner
Serrano
Solis
Stark
Tancredo
Thompson (CA)
Tierney
Velázquez
Waters
Watson
Watt
Waxman
Weiner
Westmoreland
Woolsey
Wu
| 
