Washington – At least three Democrats in Colorado’s congressional delegation will vote for the House’s war-spending bill, and one Republican is weighing the possibility of a yes vote.
Democratic Rep. John Salazar will vote for the bill that includes a timeline for troop withdrawal, he said Thursday.
“The policies and strategies pursued by this administration have not worked,” said Salazar, of Manassa. “We cannot stay the course of a failed policy. We need a new direction.”
Salazar had not previously made his position known. Democratic Reps. Mark Udall of Eldorado Springs and Ed Perlmutter of Golden also will vote for it. Rep. Diana DeGette’s office could not be reached for comment Thursday evening.
Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave of Fort Morgan has not decided how to vote.
The bill contains $4.3 billion in disaster-assistance money for farmers and ranchers, funding Musgrave has tried to get through other channels.
“Those funds are very, very important to her and her constituents,” Musgrave’s chief of staff, Guy Short, said. “There are farmers and ranchers who desperately need those funds.”
Musgrave believes Democrats “are playing games” by putting the disaster-assistance money into the bill, because they know Bush won’t sign it, Short said.
Rep. Tom Tancredo, R-Littleton, is leaning heavily toward opposing the bill because it’s packed full of spending not related to the war, said spokesman Carlos Espinosa. Tancredo voted against a war-spending bill last year for the same reason, Espinosa said. Republicans controlled Congress at the time.
“Republicans did the same thing,” Espinosa said. “Democrats have done no better.”
Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado Springs, will vote against the bill because it includes a timetable for withdrawal and “ties the commander-in-chief’s hands,” said spokesman Chris Harvin.
“He supports the military, he supports the troops, but we just can’t vote for this bill,” Harvin said.
Salazar said he supports the bill’s plan for a phased pullout. “The Iraqis must begin to assume greater responsibility for their own security and their future,” he said.
Perlmutter said it funds the troops and “holds the president accountable.”
Udall is supporting the bill because it funds the troops and provides “a new direction out of Iraq,” spokesman Lawrence Pacheco said.
Staff writer Anne Mulkern can be reached at 202-662-8907 or amulkern@denverpost.com.
