Live Blogging June 16, 2009, House Debate on War Supplemental: $106 Billion More for War

By David Swanson

Here's the background on how we got here.

12:00 p.m. Congress is praying to its lord and father.

12:03 p.m. Congress is robotically pledging its obedience to a piece of cloth.

12:03 Kucinich gives 1-minute speech, says we're destroying our nation's morality funding wars. Go, Dennis! Full text:

“We are destroying our nation’s moral and fiscal integrity with this war supplemental. Instead of ending wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan now by appropriating only enough money to bring our troops home, Congress abdicates its constitutional authority, defers to the president, and asks for a report. That’s right, all we are asking for is a report on when the president will end the war.

“There is also money for the IMF, presumably to bail out private European banks. Billions for the IMF so they can force low and middle income nations to cut jobs, wages, health care and retirement security, just like corporate America does to our constituents.

“And there’s money to incentivize the purchase of more cars, not necessarily from U.S. manufacturers because a ‘Buy America’ mandate was not allowed.

“Another $106 billion dollars and all we get is a lousy war. Pretty soon that is going to be about the only thing made in America – war."

12:07 Rep. Andre Carson praised a dead soldier's fighting in Afghanistan. But will he send more soldiers to die there "winning hearts and minds" as he grotesquely put it?

12:11 Rep. Dave Reichert wants more sanctions against Iran to "help" the Iranian people.

12:13 Rep Tom Cole wants Pelosi to apologize to Panetta for saying CIA lied (even though it lied) and Panetta to apologize to Cheney for saying Cheney wants the United States attacked (even though he clearly does). And, presumably, Cole wants Cheney to apologize for illegal wars, lies, spying, torture, bribery, treason, and other high crimes and misdemeanors, but Cole's minute had expired.

12:18 Rep Carolyn Maloney and so many others suddenly care about election integrity, at least in Iran.

12:23 Keith Ellison is up. I thought he might address the war, but like many other members this morning, and groups like True Majority, he's sticking to healthcare. But he has said he'll vote No on the war.

12:24 Jackie Speier claims that freedom of speech is hardwired into the human species, by way of awkwardly claiming she cares about Iranians.

12:40 This is interesting. Prior to getting around to the war vote, they're debating a bill called the Homes for Heroes Act that actually really has something to do with "supporting the troops," in that it addresses the needs of homeless veterans. If you vote against this one, you really should be accused of not "supporting the troops." If you vote for it (and even if you don't) you should ignore such rhetoric when used within a mile of a war funding bill. (Vote delayed by objection that a quorum not present.)

-- Roll Call: "House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) on Tuesday expressed doubt that Democratic leaders have the votes to pass the $105.9 billion war supplemental. 'I think we have the votes. Confident might overstate it,' Hoyer said at his weekly press conference. The supplemental spending bill is scheduled for debate Tuesday and will be voted on later Tuesday or Wednesday, he said." --

12:53 C-Span says debate on the war supplemental will start at 2 p.m. ET. Whenever House is dark, C-Span is replaying Jane Hamsher from Washington Journal this morning: very helpful!

2:00 Where's the war debate?? Instead there's debate over a proposal to investigate whether Pinocchio - er, I mean the CIA - lied.

2:42 Debate has begun with Michael Arcuri (D) speaking about how funding the extension of the war will bring the troops home, and cash for clunkers, and swine flu prevention. So we can clean the environment and heal the ill by funding war!

2:44 David Dreier (R) spoke next and will control 30 minutes. Of sheer blather about "the welfare and protection of our troops." Same disgustingly dishonest rhetoric even when voting the other way. He wants IMF to be voted on separately from war. I do too. I want everything to be voted on separately from war. Dreier also wants all non-emergency funding stripped out. Me too!

2:53 Arcuri points out that there is a pile of money in the bill for troops (not to mention - and he didn't - the bigger pile for killing em).

2:53 Dennis Kucinich (D): How do we support the troops by keeping them in a war based on lies? We support the troops by bringing them home! We don't have money for homes, healthcare, steel mills, or auto plants. Support the troops indeed. The Democrats took control of this Congress to end this war. We should be ending it, not deferring to the president. We have a Constitutional duty under Article I Section 8 to determine whether a war should continue.

2:55 Dreier claims bill gives less money to troops than it did a month ago.

2:56 Buck McKeon (R) opposes IMF and longs for ban on releasing torture photos.

2:59 Arcuri did not reply to Dreier, introduced Sander Levin (D), who said blah blah. Anyone who votes no is voting no on Blood for Clunkers (nonsense since it passes by itself).

3:04 Sheila Jackson Lee (D) says she opposes the war in Iraq and intends to vote to fund it. Blah. Standing down. Standing Up. Keeping our promise to Afghanistan. Blah. Liberty. Need more money for schools in my district. Children first (right after bombs). SHAMELESS!

3:10 Dreier wants to close debate, has no more Republicans who want to say anything in support of opposing a war bill.

3:10 Rep Betty Sutton (D) says she's going to vote to fund more war but that it's OK because she's signing onto McGovern's bill for an exit strategy. This is the cover I was worried about. Sutton also got an amendment into the bill, which she might use as another excuse for voting Yes.

3:14 No more speakers from either side. Closing remarks from Dreier. Blah. Blah blah. Blahing. Blah. "I urge a No vote." Gotta agree with that.

3:20 Arcuri says he "opposes" the war and thinks the bill should have even MORE money in it. It's a bill to provide troops with what they need to return to their families safely. He says this shit so sincerely you'd think it meant something. "I urge a Yes vote."

3:21 VOTING BEGINS: voting postponed.

I missed it but the vote on the rule happened at 4:48 p.m. and here's the roll call. Only 10 Democrats voted No: Filner, Heinrich, Kaptur, Kratovil, Kucinich, Michaud, Minnick, Mitchell, Rush, Waters. Of these, perhaps five, which is our historic norm, voted No to oppose war funding (rather than to oppose IMF funding): Filner, Kaptur, Kucinich, Michaud, Waters.

5:25 Debate preceding vote is underway. I missed first 20 minutes of it. Steny Hoyer is praising Ronald Reagan to no apparent purpose, with all the Republicans expected to vote No. Hoyer's giving the "Support Duh Troops" rap at great length. I probably missed nothing but 20 MORE minutes of this hooey.

5:34 Dan Burton (R): The bill does support duh troops, but not enough. Blah blah. IMF $ will go to Venezuela, Iran, Zimbabwe. Blah.

5:35 Mike Pence (R): blah blah.

Dems (Obey) keep passing, reserving their time to speak.

5:39 Thaddeus McCotter (R) wants money for US cars, not for the IMF.

5:42 Louie Gohmert (R) doesn't want to give money to "countries that hate us", "our enemies." Rather than do that, he says, he would prefer to "call it a wash" and bring our troops home.

5:44 Jerry Lewis (R) blah dee dee blah blow.

5:46 Devin Nunes (R) wants to know if the bill can be amended to help Californians have water. Lewis says no.

5:52 David Obey (D) finally says something, and it wasn't worth the wait. Blah blah. No IMF money can go to Iran. Obama will prevent release of torture photos. Blah blah. All the rhetoric is for the cameras, not for the progressives who've been kicked and beaten to support this thing.

6:01 Voting begins - 15 minutes.

1 Nay vote immediately appears in the Dem column, probably Kucinich's.

After 5 minutes of voting, C-Span displays 2 No votes in the Dem column so far. After 10 minutes of voting, 4 No votes.

6:13 p.m. Now there are 6 Dem No votes.

There may be a significant delay between voting and C-Span displaying.

6:14 Now there are 9.

6:15 Two minutes remaining. No votes at 10.

6:16 One minute remaining. No votes at 11.

6:16 No votes at 13.

6:18 No votes at 14.

6:18 Now 15.

6:20 Jumped to 16, then 19, then 17.

6:20 Now at 18.

6:20 Now at 20.

Not one Republican has voted Yes.

6:20 Now at 21 Dem No votes.

6:21 Now at 22, now 23.

6:23 Now at 24, with 204 Yes votes -- all from Dems.

6:25 Now at 27 Dem No votes, with 215 Yes votes.

If the Yes votes hit 218, more No votes can be added without any courage or decency -- sheer fraud.

6:26 It's 218 to 29. That means 29 may have shown some nerve, although a bunch of them only because of the IMF and not the war, and some for even more twisted reasons.

6:27 218 to 30 now. Heard a voice mention "changing their vote".

6:28 Totals announced, well ahead of C-Span's count: 226 to 202.

But who did what? Have to get roll call.

32 Dems voted No, and we needed 39. Who turned on us and on their constituents and on the people of Iraq and Afghanistan?

Have to get roll call.

Who voted early and late? No way to tell that I know of.

Here's link to roll call not yet posted.