Iraq War Funding

Posted by jamesmturpin 07/07/2008 12:00 AM PDT

Madam Speaker:

Forgive my legislative ignorance, but after pulling out an 8th grade Civics book from the early 1970’s, it is well known that the Constitution provides that "All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives."

As a result, the Senate does not have the power to initiate bills imposing taxes. Furthermore, the House of Representatives holds that the Senate does not have the power to originate appropriation bills or bills authorizing the expenditure of federal funds. Therefore any funds appropriated for the Iraq War must start as a bill in the House of Representatives of the United States Congress.

My assumption is that you have some political control over John Murtha (D-PA) who chairs the House Defense Appropriations Committee in the 110th Congress and the Democratic majority on this committee. This committee had a Democratic majority of nine Democrats and six Republicans.

I am baffled on how you as the Speaker of the House could NOT prevent ANY Iraq War funding bill from being killed at the committee level before it ever reached the House for a vote. It seems logical to me that no war funding means NO MONEY, which means withdrawal of US forces from Iraq. This was a similar tactic during the early 70’s in the Vietnam War.

Please enlighten me on House legislative procedure and why this tactic was not used as a means to bypass the myriad of war funding bills you helped put before the President of the United States.

Please explain how one of the lowest rated Presidents in the history of the United States got every dollar he wanted to wage war in Iraq.