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Iraqi Vacation Plans Anger Lawmakers
May 3, 2007
This is one topic where I can say without a doubt that I agree with Congress, both Democrats and Republicans. Apparently members of the Iraqi Parliament are planning to take a 2 month break in July. My thoughts are this. Our troops are in their country, fighting and dying to help them set up a free and democratic society, to help protect their citizens from violence at the hands of the insurgents. The members of the Iraqi Parliment, need to do as our troops are doing… stay on task, stay focused until the job is done. Their planned vacation is likely to begin without the Baghdad politicians reaching agreements on key issues in their country, such as regulating the distribution of proceeds from the Country’s oil wealth.
That doesn’t send a very positive message to American lawmakers, the American public, their citizens, the Iraqi troops, or the world. To me, that signals that they’re thumbing their noses at the very people who are there in their country to assist them in making things safer for their citizens. I would hope that on this issue, ALL lawmakers, Democrat and Republican, as well as the President will stand firmly together. Below are some of the reactions of various members of Congress.
“If they go off on vacation for two months while our troops fight - that would be the outrage of outrages,” said Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn.
“That is not acceptable,” Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said of a two-month recess. “An action of that consequence would send a very bad signal to the world that they don’t have the resolve that matches the resolve of the brave troops that are fighting in the battle today.”
Added Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., “I certainly hope they’re not going to take any sort of recess when the question is whether they’re going to make any progress.”
Though Republicans and Democrats remain gridlocked over the troop funding and setting of timelines, they are standing together as a united front on this issue, as well they should. In this instance, they should demand that the Iraqi parliment, remain on task until key issues are resolved. It almost gives me the impression that the Iraqi lawmakers aren’t taking this seriously. Hopefully with pressure from the US Government as well as the governments of other Coalition Forces, the Iraqi lawmakers will reconsider their ill-conceived vacation plans.
On Monday, the same day Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., issued a statement urging the Iraqi politicians to reconsider their summer break - the Iraqi parliament called for a ban on US troops near a holy Shiite Muslim shrine. Protests were led by the radical anti-US Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s bloc after US and Iraqi troops conducted a raid near the shrine.
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4 Responses to “Iraqi Vacation Plans Anger Lawmakers”
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Well…. it _should_ be noted that Congress will be gone for about 5 weeks during that same time frame…
That’s a bit different than 2 months or more.
Of course its different!! Our congress doesn’t do anything any way!!
LMAO!