CUT OFF IRAQ WAR FUNDS NOW

The Congress should vote to cut off funds for the Iraq war.

The vote of 373 to 156 authorizing the war on October 10, 2002, reflected the deep suspicion by the 30% of Congressmen that the Bush administration was on a reckless path to unnecessary war. Many, if not most of the 70% voting to authorize military action, felt their vote would give President Bush leverage to resolve the trumped up crisis in Iraq diplomatically. Instead, they got a precipitous war. Now after forty-four months of unending failure, tens of thousands of dead and wounded Americans, hundreds of billions of squandered treasure, these Congressmen know they were duped and used.

Unfortunately, continued funding of the war prevents the Congress from simultaneously arguing that its war powers have been usurped regardless of how incompetent the war is fought and how little the Congress is consulted for guidance.

Instead of taking back their authority by de-funding the war, Congress has voted with ever increasing majorities to continue funding, preferring to avoid political suicide by an apparent vote not to support our soldiers in harm’s way. The vote just five weeks before the election approved the latest appropriation by 96% to 4%. Only two Republicans and twenty Democrats out of 516 congressmen did the right thing and opposed continued funding of our self-destructive Iraq venture.

Congress should re-visit the election which was essentially a popular referendum to end the war. Virtually no one except our eerily isolated president and his mysteriously unavailable vice president are still arguing for an endless commitment in Iraq.

A vote to de-fund the war does not disrespect or hurt our soldiers. Quite the opposite, it recognizes they are being callously used to maintain a pointless war simply to prevent the inevitable day of accountability of the people who misused them.

And it will bring them home safely.

Originally published in Glen Ellyn News, December 6, 2006
Also published in Daily Herald, December 10, 2006