The Iraq War
Congressman Blumenauer, who served on the House International Relations Committee in the run up to war, was an early and staunch opponent of the Iraq War. He voted against the Authorization for the Use of Military Force and attempted to block the rush to war by prolonging and strengthening weapons inspections in Iraq. Since 2003, Congressman Blumenauer has opposed open-ending funding for Iraq, denounced the conduct of the war, and spoken out about its devastating impact on our troops, our readiness, the conflict in Afghanistan, and our stature around the world.

Ending the War

Addressing the Humanitarian Crisis

Ending the War

Congressman Blumenauer believes that we must end the war in Iraq as soon as possible and bring our troops home in a responsible fashion. He has pledged to vote against every funding bill that doesn’t end the war. In November 2005, Congressman Blumenauer also released his own plan to end the war and use diplomacy to help stabilize the country, helping provide for the needs of the Iraqi people. The Blumenauer Plan has been highly praised by military experts and leading national security specialists.


This plan is embodied in the comprehensive “New Direction for Iraq Act,” which Congressman Blumenauer introduced in February 2007. The provisions of this legislation include:

•    Redeployment: Requires the responsible redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq to start within 30 days of passage and be completed within approximately one year.

•    Stops Escalation: Prohibits the escalation of the Iraq War without specific Congressional approval.

•    Reconstruction: Redirects U.S. reconstruction funding from large contractors to Iraqi owned businesses to help create jobs in Iraq.

•    Prosecutes War Profiteers: Prompts Congress to investigate, and the Attorney General to aggressively prosecute, war profiteering and fraud and instructs the President to nullify contracts with any company that has not fulfilled an Iraq reconstruction contract and recover lost funds.

•    Diplomacy: Directs the President to begin a regional diplomatic effort, including direct negotiations with Syria and Iran, to promote stability in Iraq and solve outstanding regional issues like nuclear proliferation and support for terrorism.

•    Benchmarks: Requires the President and the Iraqi government to agree on performance benchmarks and makes further support for the Iraqi government contingent upon the achievement of those benchmarks.

•    Civil Society: Authorizes additional funds for strengthening Iraqi civil society, including labor unions, environmental groups, and community organizations.

•    Refugees: Requires the development of strategies to address the needs of Iraqi refugees.

•    No Permanent Bases: Prohibits permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq, as well as U.S. control over Iraq’s oil infrastructure and economic policies.

Addressing the Humanitarian Crisis

Congressman Blumenauer has been the leader in the Congress to address the Iraqi refugee crisis. The ongoing violence in Iraq is marked by the world’s fastest growing refugee and internally displaced populations. While Congressman Blumenauer believes that the United States has a responsibility to all innocent Iraqis who are suffering as a result of the war, he believes that we bear a particular responsibility to those who are being targeted because they helped the United States. Many well-meaning Iraqis who either served as a translator for the U.S. military or worked for a humanitarian organization have been made the targets of Al Qaeda in Iraq, Sunni insurgents, or Shiite militias.

Congressman Blumenauer introduced the first comprehensive legislation to address this deepening crisis, the “Responsibility to Iraqi Refugees Act.” This legislation requires specific assistance to Iraqi refugees and the countries that are hosting them, made it easier for vulnerable Iraqis to come to the United States, and set up a special program to assist Iraqis who helped American efforts. Many of the provisions from Congressman Blumenauer’s legislation were signed into law in January 2008 as part of the larger National Defense Authorization Act.