First up, HR 2237 "To provide for the redeployment of United States Armed Forces and defense contractors from Iraq". This was the "Get out of Iraq, Pronto!" bill that went down to defeat on Thursday with a vote of 171-255. Mr. Arcuri voted with Speaker Pelosi for withdrawal.
Second, HR 2206, the bill that would only provide short-term funding for military operations in Iraq and elsewhere. It passed 221-205, with Mr. Arcuri once again voting with Speaker Pelosi in support.
Oddly enough, Mr. Arcuri's statement contends that the recent tornadoes in Kansas demonstrated the National Guard's limited ability to respond to emergencies because of the Iraq war. That's a rather surprising assertion considering the Kansas National Guard's own statements:
Currently, the Kansas National Guard has 88 percent of its forces available, 60 percent of its Army Guard dual-use equipment on hand, and more than 85 percent of its Air Guard equipment on hand, said Randal Noller, public affairs officer for the National Guard Bureau. Under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which is a national partnership agreement that allows state-to-state assistance during governor or federally declared emergencies, Kansas has more than 400,000 Guardsmen available to it, he pointed out. However, Kansas has not yet requested assistance from other states.
Curious, that. And probably worthy of an investigation, since the military must obviously be lying.
Finally, there's HR 2207, the bill that takes all the pork that was slathered on the original Iraq supplemental bill and breaks it out on it's own. Good news for salmon breeders, peanut growers, and spinach farms that have trouble keeping E. Coli off their crops, but not really anything to do with the war anymore. It passed 302-120, with Mr. Arcuri once again voting with Speaker Pelosi.
"Victory to me is bringing the troops home." - Michael Arcuri
