Schakowsky Votes to Redeploy Troops from Iraq

SCHAKOWSKY VOTES TO REDEPLOY TROOPS FROM IRAQ

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today joined a majority of her colleagues in the House of Representatives to back legislation that would end the war in Iraq. The Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act was passed by a vote of 223 to 201 and requires American forces to begin redeploying within 120 days and to complete the transition to a limited presence in Iraq by April 1, 2008.

Today's vote came on the same day as the release of the White House Interim Report on Iraq, which indicates that the Iraqi government has failed to meet key benchmarks endorsed by the President in January.

"Today, we learned that the Iraqi government has failed to meet the benchmarks endorsed by the Bush Administration in January. Still, the President wants us to be patient as he pursues his plan for more troops, more time, more money, and more of the same in Iraq,... said Representative Schakowsky. "It's clear the so-called surged has failed after six months, 600 lives, and $60 billion have been lost....

In its fifth year, the war in Iraq has cost American taxpayers $450 billion and new reports indicate that America spends $10 billion per month on the war in Iraq. To date, more than 3,600 Americans have lost their lives in Iraq and more than 26,000 have been wounded.

"The American people have waited long enough and their patience has finally run out. After years of chaos and bloodshed, it is time to bring our troops home....