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-- Supposedly a Democrat, but I am having MAJOR doubts about that!
Recently, you contacted me to share your views about the War in Iraq. I want to take this opportunity to update you on the developments to fund our fighting men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan.
As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I had the opportunity in April to travel to Iraq and Afghanistan to meet with our men and women in uniform. This trip further validated what I already knew-our country's fighting men and women continue to execute their mission with valor. Our nation should be proud.
In March, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed emergency funding measures to support our troops in Iraq and to hold the Iraqi Government accountable for their own destiny. The House and Senate passed their versions of the emergency funding bill by votes of 218-212 and 51-47, respectively. As with any legislation, the House and Senate entered into conference to reconcile their differences. The resulting conference report was endorsed by the House on April 25th by a vote of 218-208. The next day, the Senate approved the conference report by a vote of 51-46. The conference report was almost immediately vetoed by President Bush.
With Congress and President Bush at odds over certain aspects of this emergency funding measure, the time has come for the Democrats and Republicans to put aside their egos and begin productive negotiations. As I have said from the start, we must immediately provide our troops with the equipment, weapons, and training they need to successfully execute their missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The measure provided over $95.5 billion for weapons, equipment, and training, $13.8 billion for anti-terror activity, and $1.3 billion for veterans health care. It is my hope that any compromise reached by Congress and the President includes every cent of this funding.
When I was in Iraq, I saw first hand the need for the Iraqis to take control of their own destiny. This measure instituted benchmarks to monitor progress on the ground. The Iraqi government must demonstrate a genuine commitment to reducing sectarian violence that has severely damaged efforts at Sunni/Shiite reconciliation and reconstruction of Iraq's core infrastructure. Additionally, the Iraq government must exhibit success in disarming the militias that serve to destabilize much of the country. Again, it is my hope that these benchmark provisions are included in any compromise emergency funding measure.
I also oppose a public date for redeploying our troops from Iraq, and I took proactive steps to remove the public date from the emergency funding measure. I offered an amendment to the original House bill, H.R. 1591 that would have eliminated the public date for redeployment of the troops while retaining benchmarks of success for the Iraqi government. Unfortunately, this amendment was not accepted by the House Rules Committee. This measure is ultimately about providing emergency funding for our troops. I could not in good conscience vote against it.
Thanks again for taking the time to share your views with me. As always, I want to hear what is on your mind. Please feel free to contact me on this and any other issue. My door is always open to you.
Sincerely,
Brad Ellsworth
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