Rep. Thompson Votes Against President's Open-Ended War in Iraq

Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) released the following statement today after his vote on the Iraq emergency supplemental spending bill, which did not include benchmarks nor a timeline for ending the war:

- Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA) released the following statement today after his vote on the Iraq emergency supplemental spending bill, which did not include benchmarks nor a timeline for ending the war:

"Today, I voted against the Iraq supplemental because it only furthers the president's open-ended war in Iraq. In our fifth year at war, funding should go through the regular budgeting process. It's not an emergency at this stage, and if the Administration doesn't know after four years how to fund the war, we're in more trouble than we may think. Moreover, the Iraqi government needs to take responsibility for securing their country so we can bring our troops home as safely and quickly as possible. Without benchmarks, we don't know whether the Iraqi government is making progress. Without a timeline, the Iraqi government won't be motivated to meet the benchmarks.

"I've been opposed to this war since the beginning. The Bush Administration has had it wrong from every vantage. Our troops have done a fantastic job. However, from ‘mission accomplished' to ‘stay the course,' this war has been run on slogans and photo ops, rather than sound strategy. There hasn't been accountability for the nearly $400 billion in taxpayer dollars we've spent or the wrong-headed decisions made along the way. This bill continues more of the same.

"We must put our troops and veterans first, which is why the new Majority in Congress has increased funding to train, equip and protect our troops and provide quality care for our veterans. Our troops shouldn't have to rely on their families to send them everything from body armor to socks. The best way to protect our troops is to create a strategy for ending the war through benchmarks and a timeline. I can't support a war funding bill that doesn't make our troops and veterans the top priority."

###

CONTACT: Anne Warden, (202) 225-3311 or (703) 338-4480