• H.R. 455 is tied to war funding.  It would be attached to the appropriations bill so, if it is not removed in conference, the Senate would have to pass it and the President would have to sign it in order to continue funding for the war. Funding is "the only real way to force a change of direction in Iraq."
• Because it maintains funding for the troops (albeit for their removal) it cannot be tarred with the Republican talking point that it "cuts off funding for the troops."
• Because it maintains funding for Iraqi reconstruction, it avoids the argument that we are abandoning the Iraqi people in the same way Congress supposedly "abandoned" the people of South Vietnam.
• The bill establishes a firm and reasonable deadline for troop withdrawal (12/31/07) that will provide an incentive for the Iraqi government to take control of their own political and military destiny. The deadline is well after the "Friedman Unit" that General Petreaus has specified as critical for establishing security.

(recruiters in Brooklyn's Atlantic Ave. subway station)

Unfortunately, at this time the House leadership is not lining up behind H.R. 455  or any of the 13 or so other House proposals for ending the Iraq war or curtailing the current escalation. The compromise currently being floated "requires" withdrawal if the Iraqi government misses ambiguous benchmarks for reducing violence within a "Friedman Unit". Elements from Jack Murtha's plan conditioning troop deployment on adequate preparation and equipping can be quietly circumvented with a Friday afternoon Presidential waiver. Given this administration's apparent interest in maintaining an Iraq presence regardless of the cost and demonstrated ability to circumvent the will of Congress, this plan can be interpreted as little more than a symbolic action. While the composition of this Congress makes compromise essential, compromise that accomplishes nothing is deceptive and useless.

Therefore, DFNYC (the local coalition group of DFA) is soliciting the help of individuals and groups around the country to put grassroots pressure on their congressional representatives to support and cosponsor H.R. 455. Even if H.R. 455 is not their preferred bill, they may be more likely to respond to a focused request rather than the amorphous anti-war sentiments that have resulted in nothing more than nonbinding resolutions. And even if this effort is unsuccessful in getting H.R. 455 passed, it helps build "momentum" that will encourage support of other legislation that will directly keep the President from sending more brave soldiers to die in an unnecessary conflict that will be even harder for his successor to end.

Please contact your congressperson by phone or e-mail and urge them to cosponsor H.R. 455. You can get contact info for your congressperson (and/or find out who he/she is) at http://www.house.gov/writerep/

A BILL

To provide for the protection of members of the United States Armed Forces and for their withdrawal from Iraq by December 31, 2007.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Protect the Troops and Bring Them Home Act of 2007'.

SEC. 2. WITHDRAWAL OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM IRAQ.

(a) Limitations on Use of Funds-

(1) USE OF FUNDS FOR SAFE AND ORDERLY WITHDRAWAL- Funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense under any provision of law may be obligated or expended within the Republic of Iraq only for the purpose of providing for--

(A) the continued protection of members of the Armed Forces who are in Iraq pending their withdrawal pursuant to the schedule required by subparagraph (B); and

(B) the safe and orderly withdrawal of the United States Armed Forces from Iraq pursuant to a schedule that provides for commencement of the withdrawal not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act and completion of the withdrawal not later than December 31, 2007.

(2) NO INTERRUPTION OF WITHDRAWAL- Funds appropriated or otherwise made available to the Department of Defense under any provision of law may not be obligated or expended to increase the number of members of the Armed Forces serving in Iraq at any time.

(b) Continued Provision of Certain Assistance to Iraq- Subsection (a) shall not apply to the obligation or expenditure of funds to ensure the security of Iraq and its transition to democratic rule by--

(1) carrying out consultations with the Government of Iraq, other foreign governments, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the United Nations, and other international organizations;

(2) providing financial assistance or equipment to Iraqi security forces and international forces in Iraq; or

(3) providing economic or reconstruction assistance.

(c) Rule of Construction Regarding Other Federal Agency Assistance- Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit or otherwise restrict the use of funds available to any department or agency of the United States to carry out social and economic reconstruction activities in Iraq.

(d) Definition- In this section, the term `Armed Forces' has the meaning given the term in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code.