FEINGOLD PRAISES SENATE PASSAGE OF BINDING LEGISLATION
TO HELP BRING AN END TO THE IRAQ WAR
Legislation Requiring U.S. Troops to Begin Redeployment in 120 Days
is Next Step Towards Ending U.S. Military Involvement in Iraq
April 4, 2007
Wauzeka, WI – During his Crawford County listening session today,
U.S. Senator Russ Feingold praised Senate passage of the emergency supplemental
spending bill, which included binding legislation requiring U.S. troops
to begin being redeployed from Iraq 120 days after enactment. While
the bill did not go as far as Feingold would have liked, he said the
legislation was a good step toward ending U.S. involvement in the Iraq
war. The bill would require the President to transition the current
mission to three narrow purposes: targeted counter-terrorism operations,
training Iraqis, and protecting U.S. personnel. In January, Feingold
introduced legislation to use Congress’s power of the purse to
safely redeploy U.S. troops from Iraq.
“The bill passed by the Senate requiring our brave troops to
begin to be redeployed marks an important step toward ending the war
in Iraq,” Feingold said. “While this is long overdue, I’m
very pleased that for the first time, the U.S. Senate passed binding
legislation that brings us closer to ending our involvement in this
disastrous war.”
Feingold also announced that he will be introducing legislation with
the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, that will end funding for the
President’s failed Iraq policy past March 31, 2008, resulting
in the safe redeployment of our troops by that date. For nearly two
years, Feingold has pushed for a public timetable to redeploy troops
that would include a date by which redeployment would be complete. In
June 2005, Feingold, who originally opposed the authorization to use
force in Iraq, introduced an amendment calling on the President to create
such a public timetable. In August 2005, Feingold became the first Senator
to propose a timeline to bring an end to U.S. involvement in Iraq. Following
passage of the emergency supplemental spending bill, Feingold reiterated
his support for Congress to use its constitutional power, the power
of the purse, to safely redeploy the troops from Iraq.
“Congress must not allow the President to continue a war that
has already come at such a terrible cost,” Feingold said. “Congress
has the constitutional authority and the moral responsibility to end
our involvement in Iraq so we can refocus on the global terrorist networks
that threaten this country.”
Feingold’s listening session was held at the Wauzeka Village
Hall in Wauzeka, WI. The listening session was Feingold’s 23rd
of 2007 and 1031st since 1993.
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