PDA Storms Capitol Hill as Congress Votes
March 23, 2007, Washington, DC
As a close vote passed the Democratic leadership’s Iraq supplemental funding bill in the House – hailed by those leaders as the first (albeit slow) step toward ending the war, and criticized by a half dozen stalwart antiwar Congress members and grassroots groups as a prolonging of the occupation – PDA delegations were meeting with progressive legislators on both sides of the vote.
PDA activists from coast to coast have gathered in D.C. for our
National Leadership Conference. Planned weeks ago, no one knew we’d be meeting with Congress members on such a momentous, intense day. Legislators were variously angry, frustrated, conflicted over the vote before them.
Rep. Jim McGovern (MA), who’d taken the lead for years in sponsoring legislation to end this war, ultimately voted “Yes” on the Iraq funding bill. He told PDAers that he is committed as ever to bringing this war to a quicker end than that called for in the supplemental (Sept. 1, 2008) – and looking to upcoming defense authorization and appropriation bills to push the issue: “I want the war ended today.” He also said that he would work on tightening possible loopholes in the supplemental that would allow troops to remain in Iraq beyond Sept. 2008 in “training” and other missions. He thanked PDA for its years of grassroots efforts on Iraq and encouraged PDA to involve unions and religious activists in pushing more conservative Democrats toward ending the war.
PDAers, joined by our friends at Military Families Speak Out, then met with Iraq legislative aide Ven Neralla on the staff of Congressional Progressive Caucus co-chair Barbara Lee (CA). Lee voted “No” on the supplemental and tried unsuccessfully to get a PDA–supported amendment for fully-funded withdrawal by the end of 2007 heard by the full House. Lee, a PDA advisory board member, intends to fight for a measure renouncing any U.S. interest in permanent bases in Iraq, and for a measure denying funding for overt and covert attacks on Iran. (To gain the votes of hawkish Democrats for the supplemental, the House leadership had deleted a clause from the bill that would have required Congressional authorization before Bush could attack Iran.)
Next, antiwar Congressional leader Dennis Kucinich (OH) hosted an even larger PDA group. Expressing his fears that an out-of-control White House was looking for an excuse to attack Iran, Kucinich said that he and others needed to start seriously considering impeachment. Kucinich said that no matter what benchmarks were contained in the supplemental, Bush would do as he pleased. Kucinich voted “No” on the bill. He is particularly disturbed by the dangerous Iran rhetoric from other Democratic presidential candidates that “no option is off the table.”
PDAers had a very warm meeting with Jim Clarke, the chief of staff of Rep. Diane Watson (CA), a PDA advisory board member and stalwart progressive. Watson voted “No” on the supplemental, in fulfilling the desires of her constituents in the largely African-American district (despite many calls from MoveOn.org members outside her district urging a Yes vote.)
The final meeting today was with CPC co-chair and PDA advisory board member, Lynn Woolsey (CA). She expressed frustration at the choice offered by the supplemental -- and that members were never allowed a debate on fully-funded withdrawal. She voted No on any more Iraq funding. “The voters expressed themselves in November,” she said, complaining that the strategy seemed more to make the President look foolish than to fulfill the voters’ mandate. She commended PDA for its efforts on behalf of electing progressive Democrats, and on pushing the current Congress toward a definitive end to the war.
The meetings all day on Capitol Hill were quite emotional, and inspiring, on a very trying day. PDA activists are more committed than ever to bring our troops home from Iraq, and prevent any attack on Iran. There was a sense that if not for the years of antiwar organizing, Congress would not be discussing Iraq timelines at all.
After a rigorous day working the “inside” strategy on the Hill, 60 PDA activists and allies gathered at the University of the District of Columbia to help plot our “outside” strategy in coalition with other peace and justice forces. Director Tim Carpenter welcomed the crowd with an update of the tumultuous recent weeks of organizing. PDA advisory board member Steve Cobble moderated a panel that included Marilyn Clement (Healthcare Now!), Deborah James (Public Citizens Global Trade Watch), Bill Fletcher (Center for Labor Renewal) and PDA advisory board member Medea Benjamin (Code Pink).
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