War Watch: Congress Takes Aim at a Moving Target

WomenMatter provides in-depth analysis of both the military situation on the ground in Iraq AND the inside story on the politics of the debate in Congressional Committees before the votes take place.

The November 2006 midterm elections empowered -- and required-- Congress to step forward and become a significant part of the debate on the Iraq war. It is a rare opportunity for us to hear our representatives in the House and Senate weigh in on the crisis.

Now it's our responsibility get into the debate and stay there - continuously. WomenMatter continues to track the facts of the debate AND analyze how to judge the shifting situation and weigh in while policy is being made.

What is your representative saying? Go to www.cspan.org to find out. Not sure who your representative is? Enter your Zip code below to find out.

Jump to a topic:

• Iraq Facts: on the ground & in the debate
• Iraq and US-Voters and Taxpayers
• Iraq Strategy: What are the options?
• Inside the Congressional Debate: What are the arguments?
• Policy Options: Weighing trade-offs
• What do you think?

Iraq Facts: on the ground & in the debate

• The 1973 War Powers Resolution, passed over President Nixon's veto, limited a president's ability to wage war without a congressional declaration.
• In 2002, Congress authorized the president to use the armed forces "as he determines to be necessary and appropriate ... to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq," and enforce through the United Nations Security Council all relevant Security Council resolutions applicable to Iraq.
• President Bush's plan is to send additional troops to support the 21,500 he previously ordered to Iraq as part of the troop surge.
• The President's plan did not take the advice of the Iraq Study Group, which recommended using negotiations (diplomacy) FIRST, and a smaller combat role for the military.
• The administration has now agreed to use diplomacy with countries in the region, including talks with Iran and Syria.
• Facing intense pressure at home, top allies Britain and South Korea have joined other former coalition-members in announcing plans to reduce or remove their troops from Iraq.
• Our representatives in the Senate and the House are proposing legislation and debating our mission and strategy in Iraq RIGHT NOW- including bills that would repeal the 2002 War Resolution.

Iraq and US-Voters and Taxpayers

• Expanded debate about the Iraq strategy in both houses of Congress is a direct result of the vote for new leadership and a new party in November 2006.
• The current level of involvement in Iraq is costing taxpayers $8 billion to $10 billion per month, according to a report released in February, 2007 by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
• Iraq costs would range from $9 billion to $13 billion for a four-month deployment and from $20 billion to $27 billion for a 12-month deployment, depending upon the total number of troops deployed, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
• The Department of Defense has confirmed more than 3,100 U.S. military dead (as of February 2007). This figure does not include nearly 800 civilians killed while working under contract to the Pentagon, according to figures gathered by the Associated Press.
• More than 23,000 soldiers have been wounded, based on data released by the Department of Defense. Many of them will require costly long-term health care.

Our nation's conduct and strategy in Iraq affects how we are perceived by the rest of the world. Look carefully at the available policy options and decide which one (if any) reflects your views.

Iraq Strategy- What are the options?

Two general categories of Iraq strategies being debated in Congress: those that focus on how to accomplish the mission in Iraq, (Military and Diplomatic) and those that propose to modify or change the mission itself (Legal).

• Military strategies may disagree with specific tactics like the surge but judge the overall conflict as the president does.
• Diplomatic strategies look at both how much and WHEN the administration pursues diplomacy (the Iraq Study Group recommended diplomacy FIRST).
• Legislative strategies insert language to legally change the mission in Iraq and/or the relationship between Congress & the President in respect to who has authority over Iraq strategy, including restricting funding.

Inside the Congressional Debate: What are the arguments?

In Congress, our representatives are also using political strategies to promote the policies they support, -- including holding oversight hearings to gather information about the ongoing situation in Iraq, and looking at specific aspects of the problem in committees. To learn more about the major committees tackling the crisis click here. To look up your representatives and their committee memberships click here.

Policy Options: weighing trade-offs

• Top House Democrats have created a coalition, led by John P. Murtha (Pennsylvania), which is working to limit President Bush's Commander-in-Chief power over Iraq policy through setting standards for troop training and equipment. Murtha plans to introduce a bill that would require soldiers to be properly trained and equipped before going to war.
• Obama proposed a redeployment of U.S. forces no later than May 1, 2007 with the goal of removing all combat brigades from Iraq by March 31, 2008 -- a date consistent with the bipartisan Iraq Study Group's expectations. The plan allows for a limited number of U.S. troops to remain in Iraq as basic force protection.
• Senate Foreign Relations Chairman Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Delaware) and Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D- Michigan) have written a measure that would repeal the 2002 authorization that paved the way for military action in Iraq. This joint resolution would require the administration to begin a transition to a reduced mission comprising three main tasks: fighting terrorism in Iraq, training Iraqi security forces and securing the country's borders.

To learn more about the ongoing debate in Congress click here.

What do you think?

How do you feel about the debate over Iraq? Do you know what your representative thinks? Do you agree with him or her?

Find out and weigh in with what you now know:

You can also discuss details with other WomenMatter readers on our blog.

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