Loebsack Keeps His Word On Troop Redeployment

Earlier this month, a couple Iowa blogs were disappointed with Dave Loebsack and his support for the redeploying our troops from Iraq and funding for the war. Popular Progressive and Diary of a Political Madman said that Loebsack's stance on withdrawling troops from Iraq had changed after he was elected. Political Madman wrote...

Loebsack's opinions on the war seem to have taken a pretty drastic shift since he was elected two months and a day ago. To say that's concerning is a massive understatement. If I were a Loebsack voter or donor, I'd be pissed right now.

Loebsack stated before the election that he supported John Murtha's proposal to redeploy troops from Iraq. Chris at Political Forecast wrote...

From Loebsack’s campaign explanation of his position, he said he supports ending the way and Congressman Jack Murtha’s House Joint Resolution 73, calling for practicable redeployment. He never advocated removing the funding for the war, but advocated an end to the disaster through oversight and Congressional action.

Last week, John Murtha reintroduced his resolution in Congress. Keeping with campaign promise, Representitive Loebsack signed on as a co-sponsor to redeploy US forces from Iraq. The joint resolution states...

To redeploy U.S. forces from Iraq.

Whereas Congress and the American people have not been shown clear, measurable progress toward establishment of stable and improving security in Iraq or of a stable and improving economy in Iraq, both of which are essential to `promote the emergence of a democratic government';

Whereas additional stabilization in Iraq by U.S. military forces cannot be achieved without the deployment of hundreds of thousands of additional U.S. troops, which in turn cannot be achieved without a military draft;

Whereas more than $471 billion has been appropriated by the United States Congress to prosecute U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan;

Whereas, as of the drafting of this resolution, 3,026 U.S. troops have been killed in Operation Iraqi Freedom;

Whereas U.S. forces have become the target of the insurgency;

Whereas, according to recent polls, over 91 percent of Sunni Iraqis and 74 percent of Shiite Iraqis want the U.S. forces out of Iraq;

Whereas polls also indicate that 61 percent of the Iraqi people feel that the attacks on U.S. forces are justified; and

Whereas, due to the foregoing, Congress finds it evident that continuing U.S. military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the people of Iraq, or the Persian Gulf Region, which were cited in Public Law 107-243 as justification for undertaking such action: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That:

Section 1. The deployment of United States forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date.

Sec. 2. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region.

Sec. 3. The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.