From Deseret News archives:

Matheson votes with GOP against Iraq war measure

Published: Saturday, March 24, 2007 12:13 a.m. MDT
 |  E-MAIL | PRINT | FONT + - 
WASHINGTON — Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, broke away from the Democrats and voted against an Iraq war spending bill Friday that contained a September 2008 deadline for bringing American troops home from the Middle East.

The bill passed 218-212, with 14 Democrats voting against it. Reps. Chris Cannon and Rob Bishop, both R-Utah, also voted against the bill.

"The supplemental war spending bill includes language that, in my view, will compromise the safety of our troops on the ground," Matheson said. "I have been outspoken in my opposition to putting a date certain for troop withdrawal in the public debate."

President Bush said he will veto the bill.

Bishop pointed to the "razor-thin majority" who supported the bill, saying there is no unity in "marching down the road to surrender."

"Thankfully, the Constitution and our system are crafted to prevent terrible pieces of legislation like this from becoming law," Bishop said. "Like most of the 'message bills' the Democrat leadership has passed so far this year, this bill, thankfully, will go nowhere."

Story continues below
Cannon called the bill "shameful, a slap in the face to our fighting men and women in the war on terror. Many Americans are rightfully growing impatient for visible progress in Iraq, but they also understand that we must win," Cannon said. "In fact, setting an arbitrary deadline for raising a white flag is so ill-advised that I have to believe many of those who voted 'yea' did so only because they know the Senate is not likely to go along."


E-mail: suzanne@desnews.com

Comments

You can be the first to comment on this story.

Related content
previousnext

Latest comments

I was at the convention when Huntsman was elected, as I recall, it was a...

Senators want food tax restored

No where in the article did I see a reason for increasing the tax except to...

The real championship game looked like it was played against PG and Bingham....

Raise taxes on food to 25%. Make those rich people and large families pay....

Where is Fedor???

I have a solution (maybe short term, but a solution nevertheless), regarding...

Yes, you are slow.

Gay advocates trek to LDS office

["Marriage in all Religions is between a Man and a Women. Largely because of...

TCU showdown has big implications

I remember the 80s where Utah would get torched by apponents. It seems...

Hall, Jorgensen honored by MWC

big numbers really don't matter against terrible teams. Nobody really cares....

Advertisements
Advertisement