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THE WAR IN IRAQ
1 CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT OF US PRESENCE IN IRAQ (Roll Call #359)
With the UN mandate authorizing the US military presence in Iraq set to run out at the end of 2008, the Bush administration worked to secure a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with Iraq to allow the US to legally continue its presence. Unlike normal SOFA agreements, this bilateral agreement authorizes military operations, something that normally requires congressional approval. Believing that Congress has a critical role to play in approving long-term commitments in Iraq, Rep. Barbara Lee proposed an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act, reasserting Congress’ constitutional powers by stating the terms of the SOFA necessitate either a treaty requiring the advice and consent of the Senate, or an authorization by an Act of Congress. Passed 234-183.
2 THE TRUE COST OF THE WARS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN (RC #360)
Before the invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration was unwilling to publicly estimate the cost of the Iraq war and rebuilding. It later low-balled estimated costs at just $50 to $60 billion for the Iraq war. Five years later, the Congressional Budget Office put long-term estimates of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan at $1.2 to $1.7 trillion, with some economists estimating even more. Rep. Bruce Braley’s (D-IA) amendment to the Defense Authorization Act requires the Department of Defense to give long-term cost estimates for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and helps shine a light on hidden costs by including a requirement to project how much would be spent on healthcare for returning and wounded veterans. Passed 245-168.
3 FUNDING FOR THE WARS WITHOUT A TIMELINE (RC #431)
After the first supplemental funding bill for the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan failed in the House because of many Republicans voting "present," (see Best and Worst), the bill went to the Senate. The House soon voted on HR 2642, the final version of the funding bill. The amendment failed to include any provisions regulating Iraq policy, such as a timeline for withdrawal. The House passed the $165 billion supplemental to fund the occupations through mid-2009, effectively preventing any controversial votes or debate on Iraq until after the November election. Passed 268-155.
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
4 LAST DESPERATE ATTEMPT AT NEW NUCLEAR WEAPONS FUNDING (RC #358)
Despite Congress’ refusal to fund the Bush administration’s thinly disguised new nuclear weapon, the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW), in 2007, the Department of Energy repeated its request for funding in 2008. Key leaders in Congress responded by cutting funding for the RRW from the budget in their committees. Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM) sought to restore the $10 million in funding for new nuclear weapons that the House Armed Services Committee had wisely cut by offering an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act. In a rare recorded vote on nuclear weapons, the House overwhelmingly rejected funding for the dangerous program. Failed 145-271.
5 PLAYING FAVORITES WITH INDIA ON NUCLEAR TRADE (RC #662)
The US-India nuclear deal lifts a 30-year ban on selling nuclear technology to India — a ban that ensured that only nations with a commitment to participate in the nonproliferation regime could benefit from nuclear trade. Under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, signatories like the US cannot trade nuclear material and technology with countries like India that have not signed the treaty. In addition, this deal would free up resources to allow India to develop new nuclear weapons. Congress voted in 2006 to put conditions on the deal, and in 2008 Congress voted to approve it, after the Bush administration removed many of the important conditions they had sought. Congress’ vote to pass HR 7081 rolls back years of progress on nuclear non-proliferation and sets a dangerous precedent. Passed 298-117.
WASTEFUL WEAPONS SPENDING
6 REDUCING WASTEFUL MILITARY SPENDING TO FUND HUMAN NEEDS (RC #138)
Military spending – not including the cost of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – has increased by 60% since 2001. Though the Cold War is over, the Department of Defense continues to place an emphasis on Cold War-style military hardware and expensive, high tech weapons systems. With the cost of the Iraq war climbing to $12 billion a month and the US economy sliding, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) offered an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2009 budget that would have reduced Department of Defense spending to $468 billion by eliminating outdated and ineffective Cold War weapons systems. It proposed increased non-military spending, providing a $118.9 billion economic stimulus package that included extending unemployment insurance, food stamp benefits, and Medicaid payments to states. Failed 98-322.
7,8 MISSILE DEFENSE FUNDING (RC #356, #357)
Missile defense is the US’s most expensive defense acquisition program in history. The program has yet to successfully complete a realistic test and fails to address the security threats that face the US today. A proposed third missile defense site in Europe has soured relations with Russia.
7 This amendment to the Defense Authorization Act by Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ) would have reinstated $719 million that was cut from the missile defense budget. Failed 186-229.
8 Rep. John Tierney (D-MA) introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act that would have further reduced funding for missile defense by $966.2 million and reallocated it to nonproliferation and other programs. Failed 122-292.
TORTURE AND MILITARY AID
9 PREVENTING ABUSE OF DETAINEES (RC #362)
The shocking abuse of prisoners that occurred in Abu Ghraib undermined American security, violated the human rights of prisoners set forth in the Geneva Conventions, and led to a public outcry in the US against torture. Rep. Rush Holt’s (D-NJ) amendment to the Defense Authorization Act requires recording interrogations of detainees who are held by the Department of Defense or at its facilities and retaining these recordings for review. Passed 218-192.
10 TRANSPARENCY AT MILITARY TRAINING CAMP (RC #363)
When Congress closed the School of Americas (SOA), they subsequently replaced it with the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation ("WHINSEC''), a school with a nearly identical mission. Graduates of the school, such as Manuel Noriega, have been linked to infamous human rights abuses throughout Latin America. Names of graduates and instructors were available to the public until 2006, when they were suddenly classified. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) introduced an amendment to the Defense Authorization Act requiring the Defense Secretary to release, upon request by the public, the names, ranks, countries of origin, and other information of students and instructors of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation ("WHINSEC''). Passed 220-189.
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