Rep. Diana DeGette Monday joined a handful of other Democrats as a co-sponsor of two bills aimed at ending the Iraq war and implementing a deadline for the withdraw of U.S. troops.
“I have been firmly opposed to this war, beginning with my vote against the President’s original authority to go to war with Iraq in 2002,” said DeGette, from her Denver district. “Both … bills begin to carry out the wishes of the American people – ending this war, bringing our troops home, and making the Iraqis responsible for their own country.”
The first bill, sponsored by Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., would revoke the President’s authority to use military force in Iraq, and mandates that the U.S. Secretary of Defense come up with a phased redeployment of troops.
Additionally, it sets conditions on the Iraqi government that must be met in order to receive continued funding from the U.S.
The second piece of legislation, sponsored by Rep. David Obey, D-Wis., gives the Bush administration three months to plan a redeployment process, which must be completed by June 30, 2008.
Surrounding DeGette during her announcement were five women who have children serving in the military.
Pamela Osborne of Westminster, whose 20-year-old son Daniel is a Marine serving in Iraq, said she often cannot sleep or eat because she is consumed with worry. Her son is on night patrols, she said, but often has to work days as well. She tries to sleep when she knows he isn’t on patrol.
“I’m so proud of him. He believes in his duty,” she said. “But he says, ‘mom, whatever you can do to end this war, do it.”
On Monday, DeGette also said she would have voted against the war funding bill two weeks ago. However, she missed the vote because she was attending her daughter’s graduation. The bill passed and was signed by the President.
Staff writer Karen Crummy can be reached at 303-954-1594 or at kcrummy@denverpost.com.
