releases: https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/lee-leads-bipartisan-group-in-call-to-uphold-permanent-bases-ban
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
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| https://lee.house.gov/news/press-releases/lee-leads-bipartisan-group-in-call-to-uphold-permanent-bases-ban | Lee Leads Bipartisan Group in Call to Uphold Permanent Bases Ban | 2006-09-22 | 2006 | 2006-09 | Democrat | House | CA | Barbara Lee | L000551 | lee.house.gov | legacy | 09.22.06 Lee Leads Bipartisan Group in Call to Uphold Permanent Bases Ban (Washington, DC) Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) led a bipartisan group of 72 members of Congress in writing to members of the conference committee on the Defense appropriations bill, calling on them to protect language in the bill that prohibits the establishment of permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. One area where policymakers and experts across the political spectrum agree is that the United States should make clear that it does not seek a permanent military presence in Iraq, the letter states. A major factor fueling the insurgency in Iraq is the perception of many Iraqis that the United States has long term aims in their country. Both the House and Senate versions of the fiscal year 2007 Department of Defense appropriations bill contain provisions designed to prohibit permanent bases. Earlier this year, similar language was stripped out of the Emergency Iraq supplemental spending bill during the conference process, despite having been approved by both the House and Senate. Republican Congressmen Phil English (Penn.), Jim Leach (Iowa) and Rob Simmons (Conn.) joined Lee, Tom Allen (Maine) and 67 other Democrats in signing the letter, which was sent to Representatives Bill Young and John Murtha, the Chairman and Ranking Member, respectively, of the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense. ### Text of the letter: September 21, 2006 The Honorable C.W. Bill Young The Honorable John Murtha Chairman, Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Defense Subcommittee on Defense Committee on Appropriations Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C., 20515 Washington, D.C., 20515 Chairman Young and Ranking Member Murtha: As you prepare for conference on the fiscal year 2007 (FY07) Department of Defense appropriations bill, we are writing to urge you to include in the final version, provisions prohibiting the establishment of permanent military bases in Iraq. The House-passed Department of Defense Appropriations bill contains a provision that would ensure that no funds in the bill would be used to enter into a base agreement with the government of Iraq. The Senate-passed version of the bill contains a similar provision in Section 8109, which prohibits funds to establish permanent military bases in Iraq or to exercise control over the oil infrastructure or oil resources of Iraq. With both chambers including similar provisions in their respective defense appropriations bills, and the House demonstrating its overwhelming support by a vote of 376-50 in favor of retaining the language in its version, we request that some form of this language be included in the conference report. Furthermore, we appreciate your statements in support of the House provision during debate on June 20, 2006. One area where policymakers and experts across the political spectrum agree is that the United States should make clear that it does not seek a permanent military presence in Iraq. A major factor fueling the insurgency in Iraq is the perception of many Iraqis that the United States has long term aims in their country. General George Casey has testified that gradually lowering the visibility of U.S. troops will remove one of the elements fueling the insurgency. Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has testified that, We have no desire to have our forces permanently in that country. We have no plans or no discussions under way to have permanent bases in that country. Congress should join the Administration in affirming this principal. Enacting the no permanent bases provision in the defense appropriations bill will send a clear signal to the Iraqi people that we fully support their efforts to establish democracy and exercise sovereignty. By making our intentions crystal clear, we would reassure the world that Iraqis will choose their own destinies. Thank you in advance for your consideration of our request. Sincerely, Barbara Lee Tom Allen Neil Abercrombie Tammy Baldwin Xavier Becerra Howard L. Berman Timothy H. Bishop Earl Blumenauer G. K. Butterfield Lois Capps Julia Carson Donna M. Christensen William Lacy Clay John Conyers Jr. Joseph Crowley Elijah E. Cummings Danny K. Davis Peter A. DeFazio Lloyd Doggett Phil English Sam Farr Chaka Fattah Barney Frank Ral M. Grijalva Luis V. Gutierrez Jane Harman Maurice D. Hinchey Rush D. Holt Michael M. Honda Carolyn C. Kilpatrick Ron Kind Dennis J. Kucinich Tom Lantos John B. Larson James A. Leach John Lewis Carolyn B. Maloney Edward J. Markey Doris O. Matsui Betty McCollum Jim McDermott James P. McGovern Martin T. Meehan Gregory W. Meeks Michael H. Michaud Brad Miller Gwen Moore Jerrold Nadler Grace F. Napolitano James L. Oberstar Major R. Owens Ed Pastor Donald M. Payne Nancy Pelosi David E. Price Steven R. Rothman Bobby L. Rush Janice D. Schakowsky Adam B. Schiff Allyson Y. Schwartz Robert C. Scott Rob Simmons Adam Smith Hilda L. Solis Pete Stark Mike Thompson John F. Tierney Maxine Waters Diane E. Watson Henry A. Waxman Lynn C. Woolsey Mark Udall Next Article | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |