Senator Byrd Introduces "Iran" Amendments to the Defense Appropriations Bill

[kpete]

Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Senator Byrd Introduces "Iran" Amendments to the Defense Appropriations Bill

Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV) introduced Amendment No. 3123 and No. 3133 to the Fiscal Year 2008 Defense Appropriations bill. The amendments would prohibit funding provided by the bill to be used for military operations or activities against any other country without explicit Congressional authorization. The text of both amendments is identical and I'm unsure why two identical amendments were submitted. The amendments do provide exceptions for certain activities. Though the amendments employ a non-country-specific approach similar to Senator Byrd's S. Res. 39, the enactment of either amendment could prevent a military confrontation with Iran. Below is the text of Amendments 3123 and 3133.

Sec. 8107. (a) None of the amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by this Act may be obligated or expended for military operations or activities against any other country without the enactment of an Act or the passage of a resolution passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives specifically authorizing such obligation or expenditure.

(b) The prohibition in subsection (a) shall not apply with respect to the following military operations or activities:

(1) Military operations or activities to directly repel an attack against the territory or the Armed Forces of the United States.

(2) Military operations or activities in hot pursuit of hostile forces who are directly engaged in combat operations against the Armed Forces of the United States.

(3) Intelligence collection activities of which Congress has been appropriately notified under applicable law.

(c) Not later than 48 hours after determining to obligate or expend amounts otherwise prohibited from obligation or expenditure under subsection (a) for purposes of a military operation or activity described in subsection (b), the President shall submit to the Committee on Armed Forces and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Armed Forces and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report on such determination, including a justification for the determination.

(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the authority of the President under Article II, Section 2, of the Constitution of the United States.

http://irannuclearwatch.blogspot.com/2007/10/senator-byrd-introduces-iran-amendment.html

[texpatriot2004]

1. K & R nm

[H2O Man]

2. Thank you, Senator Byrd.

Very important.

[bdamomma]

3. Thank you Senator Byrd,

at least someone is paying attention.

[malaise]

4. K & R

This is important

[cali]

5. Good on you, Senator.

k&r

[Avalux]

6. Still has a few tricks up his sleeve! Thank you Senator Byrd.

:patriot:

[flashl]

7. Go Byrd Go!

The paralysis in Congress has always suggested that there is an absence of creativity, Freshman’s lack of knowledge, or staffer unwillingness to help new Congresspersons.

[bigtree]

8. good move

good luck though. Byrd's been trying forever to get Congress to exercise their war-making powers.

[Bitwit1234]

9. I have a solution to bush and the veto

First give him the money for the war in a bill. Then add the amendments
About medical care for the children,he just vetoed
Extended rest between Iraq deployments
And a time table to draw the troops our of Iraq.

And send no other bill with this money thing except this one. Over and over and over again. If he wants the money he will have to sign it and signing statements won't do, because he would have not control over the money to be used for these other things.

That will fix him. He'll then be the one who is not funding our troops.

[Jacobin]

10. At least we have one senator who's not a craven lunatic

[ThomWV]

11. And people keep wondering why we keep electing him time after time

And then some fucking idiot will say he was a member of the KKK, and miss the point that his membership lasted less than 2 weeks - just long enough for him to find out what it was about - and that it took place about the time of the second world war.

[lonestarnot]

12. Senator Byrd, I'm glad someone is paying attention.

[IndianaJones]

13. Please retire Robert Byrd. Please. nt.

[ThomWV]

15. Why on earth would you say something like that?

[Clark2008]

16. Because he didn't read the OP or because he's a warmonger?

:shrug:

[IndianaJones]

17. because I believe him to be a bigot and detrimental to the Democratic party. nt.

[Jacobin]

18. So was Lincoln.

But he did a lot of good.

Are you in favor of attacking Iran?

[IndianaJones]

19. no...are you in favor of racism and homophobia? nt.

[Richard Steele]

22. Having seen many of your other posts, I have difficulty accepting that explanation. nm

[L. Coyote]

25. Byrd napping is still 100% better than any R.

[Spazito]

26. Hmmm, why am I not surprised you posted this....

oh, never mind, I remember why. I will say you are consistent, lol.

[TwilightGardener]

14. So this differs from Webb's amendment...how? In that it doesn't name Iran specifically?

[robinlynne]

20. yes yes and yes. funny how good things come from where we least expect them to sometimes...

[emsimon33]

21. Go, Byrd! One of the few people who seems to be paying attention in the Senate!

[Spazito]

23. WTG Senator Byrd!

I have a very vivid memory of Senator Byrd, in the well of the Senate, speaking the truth before the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq, the Senate was empty but that did not take away from the power of his truth-telling, it actually emphasized it, imo.

[Pastiche423]

27. For six weeks prior to the vote

The Senator, Robert C. Byrd made me get up before dawn (left coast here) to listen to him, all alone try to inform his fellow senators that what little lord pissypants wanted to do was unconstitutional.

I thank him, again, for standing up.

[Spazito]

28. I was very moved by his speech, his courage...

the only other time I was moved was during a Democratic filibuster (I have to be honest and say I don't remember what the issue was but it was during bush's first term I believe) where Harry Reid was also in the empty well of the Senate reading from his book about his town called Searchlight and the only other person there was Senator Dorgan who would ask Reid about the issue under dispute. I can't figure out where Reid stands now given his vote on the Kyl-Lieberman amendment, I must admit I am somewhat disillusioned about him now.

[Pastiche423]

32. I'd forgotten about that

Reid was filibustering to prevent the GOP from protesting the delaying tactics being used by Democrats. lol

[Spazito]

33. LOL, I don't know but there is a very real irony there given all

that has happened since. I do know I was impressed enough to look up the info on both Reid's book and the town of Searchlight. I suspect I will still have a soft spot for Reid based on that night regardless of what has happened since. Thanks for the info on what that filibuster was about, much appreciated.

[L. Coyote]

24. Hooray for Sen. Byrd. This is Bush's BOLAND AMENDMENT.

This is what it takes to rein in WH cowboys and criminals.

[MasonJar]

29. Thank you again, Senator Byrd. I will always admire and value

your courage in standing tall and almost alone on the Senate floor trying in the most eloquent terms to prevent the Iraq invasion.

[upi402]

30. One minute he supports the Bushit, and then Byrd turns around...

and tries to salvage our tortured republic.
Good for Senator Byrd. Stay turned please sir.

Defense Department Appropriations bill
Defense Department Authorization bill
Department of Defense Appropriations bill
Homeland Security Appropriations bill
Terrorism Information Awareness bill
Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act

Year in, and year out, he repeatedly votes for the Bushit.

[Poiuyt]

31. Any chance of this passing?