Congressional Progressive Caucus policy statement and position on Iraq

[Kevin Spidel]

Congressional Progressive Caucus “71 Strong and Growing”



EXPANDED PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS BREAKS NEW GROUND – CALLS FOR BINDING VOTES AND BRINGING ALL U.S. TROOPS AND MILITARY CONTRACTORS IN IRAQ HOME IN A 6-MONTH TIME FRAME AS PART OF A FULLY-FUNDED REDEPLOYMENT PLAN

U.S. Representatives Lynn Woolsey (D-California) and Barbara Lee (D-California), Co-Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), issued the following strongly-worded position on Iraq today on behalf of CPC Members:

CPC POSITION ON U.S. POLICY IN IRAQ

Over the last four years, the insurgency in Iraq has strengthened and sectarian violence has increased. Furthermore, the current situation on the ground in Iraq is grave and rapidly deteriorating. The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) has determined accordingly that a predominantly military approach is no longer a viable solution to stabilizing Iraq.

We are committed to bringing all of the U.S. troops and military contractors in Iraq home in a six-month time frame as part of a fully-funded redeployment plan.

More specifically, we oppose sending additional U.S. troops and military contractors to Iraq and favor binding votes to block President Bush’s escalation of U.S. military involvement in Iraq.

We believe all appropriations for U.S. military involvement in Iraq must be for the protection of our troops until and during their withdrawal within six months of the date of enactment of this limitation and accelerating the training and equipping of additional Iraqi security forces during that six-month time frame. The President has left the Congress few alternatives other than to use the power of purse spelled out in Article I, Section 9 of the U.S. Constitution to curtail U.S. military operations in Iraq.

Finally, we are opposed to establishing any permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq, support rescinding the President’s Iraq war authority, and support greater diplomatic and political engagement in the region, while ensuring that the Iraqi people have control over their own petroleum resources.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[MasonJar]

2. You, go, girls. Hallelujah!

[BayCityProgressive]

3. Thank you Progressive Caucus

the only people in the congress serving us.

[Greeby]

4. Roll call

Current members

* Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii)
* Tammy Baldwin (Wisconsin)
* Xavier Becerra (California)
* Madeleine Bordallo (Guam)
* Corrine Brown (Florida)
* Michael Capuano (Massachusetts)
* Julia Carson (Indiana)
* Donna Christian-Christensen (Virgin Islands)
* Yvette Clarke (New York)
* William Lacy Clay, Jr. (Missouri)
* Emanuel Cleaver (Missouri)
* Stephen Cohen (Tennessee)
* John Conyers (Michigan)
* Elijah Cummings (Maryland)
* Danny Davis (Illinois)
* Peter DeFazio (Oregon)
* Rosa DeLauro (Connecticut)
* Keith Ellison (Minnesota)
* Eni Faleomavaega (American Samoa)
* Sam Farr (California)
* Chaka Fattah (Pennsylvania)
* Bob Filner (California)
* Barney Frank (Massachusetts)
* Raul Grijalva (Arizona)
* Luis Gutierrez (Illinois)
* Phil Hare (Illinois)
* Maurice Hinchey (New York)
* Mazie Hirono, (Hawaii)
* Jesse Jackson, Jr. (Illinois)
* Sheila Jackson-Lee (Texas)
* Stephanie Tubbs Jones (Ohio)
* Marcy Kaptur (Ohio)
* Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (Michigan)
* Dennis Kucinich (Ohio)
* Tom Lantos (California)
* Barbara Lee (California) - Co-Chair
* John Lewis (Georgia)
* Ed Markey (Massachusetts)
* Jim McDermott (Washington)
* James P. McGovern (Massachusetts)
* George Miller (California)
* Gwen Moore (Wisconsin)
* Jerry Nadler (New York)
* Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)
* John Olver (Massachusetts)
* Ed Pastor (Arizona)
* Donald Payne (New Jersey)
* Charles Rangel (New York)
* Bobby Rush (Illinois)
* Jan Schakowsky (Illinois)
* Jose Serrano (New York)
* Louise Slaughter (New York)
* Hilda Solis (California)
* Pete Stark (California)
* Bennie Thompson (Mississippi)
* John F. Tierney (Massachusetts)
* Tom Udall (New Mexico)
* Nydia Velazquez (New York)
* Maxine Waters (California)
* Diane Watson (California)
* Mel Watt (North Carolina)
* Henry Waxman (California)
* Lynn Woolsey (California) - Co-Chair

Former members

* Sherrod Brown (Ohio) - elected to Senate
* Lane Evans (Illinois) - retired from Congress
* Cynthia McKinney (Georgia) - lost Congressional seat
* Major Owens (New York) - retired from Congress
* Bernie Sanders (Vermont) - elected to Senate

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Caucus

[BayCityProgressive]

5. is Pelosi no longer a member??

[Greeby]

6. I think she gave it up when she became Minority Leader nt