Like many Americans, I believe it is time to bring our troops home from Iraq and bring this war to an end.  I created this page to keep you up-to-date on what we are doing in Congress on this issue, and help you to stay informed on the latest events, reports and actions I have taken on the war.  As always, I encourage you to keep in touch with me on this critical issue.  The war in Iraq is one of the most critical challenges facing our nation today, and hearing from my constituents is one of my most important responsibilities as your Representative in Congress.

 

2008 Update

Update: 2007 Year End Vote Against Strings Free War Funding

Rep. Doris Matsui Calls for Responsible End to the War

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Doris Matsui (CA-05) voted again to change course in Iraq by opposing a Senate amendment providing $31 billion for the war without restrictions.

 

“I have opposed this war from the beginning, and will continue to take advantage of every opportunity to change the direction of this terrible conflict.  We cannot continue to give the President a blank check for his misguided war.  The people of this country demand a change of course in Iraq, but the President continues to ignore their call,” said Rep. Matsui.

 

“At a time when American families are facing skyrocketing prices at the gas pump and feeling the effects of a devastating housing crisis, it is simply hypocritical that the President continues to insist on billions of strings-free dollars for his disastrous war while he neglects our priorities at home.  We should be working together to bring our soldiers home to their families and loved ones this holiday season, not giving the President free rein to keep them in the Middle East for the foreseeable future.  I will continue to fight to end this war, and my constituents and I will not be satisfied until our brave men and women in uniform are home safely,” said Rep. Matsui.

 

Recently Co-Sponsored: H.R. 4959 (Iraq Strategic Agreement Review Act of 2008) Would require the administration to consult with Congress about any agreement with the Iraqi government which could establish American security assurances and commitments to the country, or create a permanent American presence there. It also would bar spending appropriated funds to implement any agreement unless it is a ratified treaty, requiring the approval of 2/3rds of congress.

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Statement on the Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act (HR 2956)

July 12, 2007

Congresswoman Matsui’s Key Legislative Actions on Iraq

Congresswoman Matsui has voted repeatedly to end the war in Iraq and bring our troops home:

• March 23, 2007: Voted in favor of H.R. 1591 (U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act), which would have required the President to redeploy troops from Iraq.
• May 2, 2007: Voted to over-ride President Bush’s veto of H.R. 1591.
• May 10, 2007: Voted in favor of H.R. 2237 (sponsored by Rep. Jim McGovern),   which would have required all military units to redeploy from Iraq within 180 days.
• May 24, 2007: Voted against an amendment to H.R. 2206 (second supplemental spending bill for the Iraq War), which provides $98 billion for war operations without mandating redeployment.
• July 12, 2007: Voted in favor of H.R. 2956 (Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act), which requires a redeployment from Iraq to be completed by April 1, 2008.
• July 25, 2007: Voted in favor of H.R. 2929 (sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee), which bans permanent military bases in Iraq.
• August 2, 2007: Voted in favor of H.R. 3159 (Ensuring Military Readiness Through Stability and Predictability Deployment Policy Act), which mandates minimum rest and rehabilitation times for soldiers deployed to Iraq.
• October 2, 2007: Voted in favor of H.R. 3087(Abercrombie – Tanner Withdrawal Planning Bill) Requires the Defense Secretary to report to congress on the status of troop withdrawal sixty days after the enactment of the measure.
• October 4, 2007: Voted in favor of H.R. 2740 (MEJA Expansion and Enforcement Act) Reins in private military contractors in Iraq such as Blackwater and DynCorp, by ensuring that their activities are subject to U.S. law and that their operations are not outside the reach of justice.
• October 8, 2007: Voted in favor of H.R. 400 (War Profiteering Prevention Act) Upgrades the severity of classification and penalties for war profiteering. This bill  also grants jurisdiction to the U.S. federal courts system to hear cases on the  matter.

Congresswoman Matsui has co-sponsored numerous bills to force a change in our Iraq policy:

• H.R. 4959 (Iraq Strategic Agreement Review Act of 2008) Would require the administration to consult with Congress about any agreement with the Iraqi government which could establish American security assurances and commitments to the country, or create a permanent American presence there. It also would bar spending appropriated funds to implement any agreement unless it is a ratified treaty, requiring the approval of 2/3rds of congress.
• H.R. 353 (sponsored by Rep. Ed Markey): Prohibits the expenditure of any further federal money on the President’s so-called “troop surge".
• H.R. 787 (Iraq War De-Escalation Act, sponsored by Rep. Thompson): Requires all combat brigades to leave Iraq by March 31, 2008.  Forces the President to submit a plan to prevent the Iraq conflict from spreading to other Middle Eastern countries.  Conditions further economic assistance on the President’s certification that the Iraqi government is making economic progress and reducing sectarian violence.
• H.R. 2929 (sponsored by Rep. Barbara Lee): Bans permanent military bases in Iraq.
• H.R. 3071 (Iraqi Redeployment and Regional Security Act, sponsored by Reps. Mike Thompson, George Miller, and John Murtha): Begins immediate redeployment of U.S. troops, to be completed within one year.  Requires the President to create a regional diplomatic plan to limit the Iraqi civil war, prevent the establishment of Al Qaeda safe havens, and avoid the spread of regional conflict.
• H.R. 897 (Iraq & Afghanistan Contractor Sunshine Act) Allows congress to provide oversight for the military contractors working in Iraq and Afghanistan by ensuring congressional access to information about their activities.

Outside Links and Additional Resources

• GAO Report: Securing, Stabilizing, and Rebuilding Iraq
• NIE Report: Prospects for Iraq’s Stability
• Washington Post: Independent Commission on the Security Forces of Iraq
• General Petraeus: Report to Congress on the Situation in Iraq
• Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker: Prepared Statements
• Iraq Study Group Downloadable Report
• Iraq War Fact Sheet
• Iraq Oversight in the 110th Congress
• Iraq War Reality