House Failed to Override Bush’s Veto

The House failed to override the President's veto of the Iraq Supplemental Bill, which would have fully funded our troops while bringing a responsible end to the war in Iraq. [Nevada State Democratic Party]

Both Dean Heller and Jon Porter voted against the bill to fund our troops. [Dean Heller: It's Time to End the War] Last month the Las Vegas Sun reported that Heller returned to Washington "believing that two of every three Nevadans oppose the war...." It is clear from last year's election that the American people, including Nevada, want the troops out of Iraq and the war on Iraq by the United States ended. Yet Heller and Porter thumb their noses at their constituents and continue to support the war by not voting to override Bush's veto. Meanwhile American lives continue to be lost in Iraq, not to mention thousands of innocent Iraqis. Nevada voters, unless they have lost their minds, will thumb their noses at Heller and Porter in 2008.

"Democratic Members of the House of Representatives failed in their attempt to override President George W. Bush's veto of the recently passed Iraq War supplemental budget. With 220 members voting to override, the 2/3 majority was not attained, as 203 members voted to sustain the veto." [Raw Story]

"One Democratic Member of Congress, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH) voted 'Present.' Two Republican Members, Rep. Walter Jones (NC) and Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (MD) voted to override the veto, and 7 Democrats voted against the override. They were Reps. John Barrow (GA), Dan Boren (OK), Lincoln Davis (TN), Jim Marshall (GA), Jim Matheson (UT), Mike McNulty (NY), and Gene Taylor (MS). House Democrats appear to have picked up four votes from the 218 that voted for the bill that was sent to the President yesterday," according to Raw Story.

Repeating what I posted earlier on this blog: [Any Progress in Iraq Yet?]

Since Escalation Began, Baghdad is "More Violent and Chaotic Than Ever." Less than two weeks ago, one reporter in Baghdad said, "Sectarian attacks in Baghdad have also increased back to pre- surge levels," with hundreds of Iraqis killed in insurgent and sectarian attacks in the Capital alone each week. After nearly 200 people were killed in a single day last month, another columnist wrote, "Nine weeks into the ' surge, ' Baghdad is more violent and chaotic than ever." [NPR, "Morning Edition," 4/19/07; UPI, 4/19/07]

Iraqi Government Hasn't Passed Legislation on Benchmarks (But Is Planning a Two-Month Vacation.) More than two months after the new plan went into effect, "there has been little or no progress in achieving three key political benchmarks set by the Bush administration: new laws governing the sharing of Iraq's oil resources and allowing many former members of the banned Baath Party to return to their jobs, and amendments to Iraq's constitution." Although the Iraqi government has yet to adopt bills aimed at easing sectarian violence and these other benchmarks, they are planning on taking their summer recess as scheduled in July and August. [Los Angeles Times, 4/21/07; Washington Post, 4/26/07]