The Iraq War

Introduced H.R. 787, the Iraq De-Escalation Act of 2007

The Iraq De-Escalation Act will begin bringing our troops home from Iraq and refocus the efforts of American armed forces on Afghanistan and the hunt for Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. It also urges the president to send a Special Envoy to Iraq to begin the important work of diplomacy with key nations in the region.

• Binding legislation that begins a phased redeployment of troops from Iraq with the goal that all combat brigades redeploy from Iraq within 16 months
• Puts forward specific benchmarks for success in Iraq - including economic redevelopment; and establishes a timeline to redeploy our troops
• Provides for a strategic strike force that will remain in the region to train Iraqis, protect against more violence and perform counterterrorist activities.

Accountability and Oversight Of Waste, Fraud and Abuse of War Spending

Introduced H. Res. 97, The Iraq Accountability Act, which would provide much needed oversight over private contractors in Iraq and over how funding for the Iraq war is budgeted and spent.

• A call for transparency and accountability on how Iraq war funds are spent
• The creation of a Truman Commission-type committee to investigate the awarding of contracts and curb waste, fraud and abuse
• A need to fund the Iraq war through the normal budgeting process and not through “emergency” supplemental spending bills
• To encourage Iraqis to take responsibility for their own country.

Refocusing Our Efforts on Afghanistan and Al Qaeda

• America was attacked on 9/11 by al Qaeda, who were being trained and harbored in Afghanistan. Yet the Bush Administration continues to focus America’s military efforts on refereeing a religious civil war in Iraq, rather than focusing on bringing to justice those responsible for the murder of over 3,000 innocent Americans
• Six years after the Taliban and al Qaeda were ousted from Afghanistan, a Taliban-led insurgency threatens the country’s stability and al Qaeda has re-established a safe-haven just across the border in Pakistan
• Yet we maintain only one-sixth the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan as in Iraq, and we are spending roughly 30 cents in Afghanistan for every dollar in Iraq
• Congressman Murphy has cosponsored H. Res. 911 a resolution to realign U.S. forces from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Voted Against Blank Check War Funding & Working to Reinvest Here at Home

• Congressman Murphy pledged to never vote for funding for the war in Iraq unless it was attached to specific benchmarks for the Iraqis and a timeline for bringing our troops home. He has kept that promise, voting against blank check for President Bush
• The war in Iraq costs American taxpayers over $2 billion per week
• It’s time that we bring the war to an end so we can reinvest that money here at home to revitalize our economy and bring good-paying jobs to the 8th District.