The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to require the president to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq within 30 days and set a goal for withdrawal of most combat troops by the end of 2008. The bill would also ban the use of torture in interrogations, direct the administration to seek regional stability in conversation with Iraq's neighbors, and prohibit the U.S. from building permanent military installations in Iraq. But the bill, which provides $50 billion in additional funding for war, will never become law because President Bush will veto it and Congress does not have enough votes to override the president's veto.

The House vote is a triumph of symbolism over substance. The president has asked Congress to approve nearly $200 billion in funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Congress needs to stop providing more money for war and start supporting a bipartisan diplomatic strategy that will establish the conditions for a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq.

Your telephone calls and emails are working. Legislation to support a diplomatic surge (H.R. 3797) in Iraq and the Middle East has 33 cosponsors as of today, including five new representatives who have cosponsored the bill just this month. This bipartisan legislation could set the stage for a new U.S. policy in Iraq and would bolster the efforts of those in the Bush administration who argue in favor of diplomacy and against an attack on Iran.
The House leadership has agreed to hold a stand-alone vote on this bill before the end of the year if it gains between 40 and 50 cosponsors -
we need at least 17 more cosponsors to meet this challenge.

Take Action

Please email your representative today. Urge her or him to vote against any more money for war and cosponsor the New Diplomatic Offensive for Iraq Act (H.R. 3797) that would mandate diplomatic negotiations in Iraq and in the region to establish the conditions for the withdrawal of U.S. troops. If your representative already supports this legislation, urge him or her to ask the House leadership to bring it up for a vote.