Vermont, depicted as “The Green Mountain State,” has passed Bill HR0011, in its state legislature, the Vermont General Assembly, calling for the return of all American troops from Anglo-American occupied Iraq.
Before the adoption of the resolution, which is non-binding on the federal government, the bill enjoyed the sponsorship of 72 of the 150 Vermont Representatives or House Members in the Vermont House of Representatives. The motion for the withdrawal from Iraq by U.S. troops was passed by a majority vote of 95 to 52 in the Vermont House of Representatives. In the Senate of Vermont, the resolution also enjoyed the sponsorship of 18 of 30 Senators and was passed and adopted.
The resolution is symbolic, but acknowledges the growing demand for an end to the war agenda in the Middle East.
In addition to Bill HR0011, a rising group of Vermont politicians are also working for a state bill in the Vermont General Assembly calling for impeachment of the U.S. President because of his gross breaches of public trust and the U.S. Constitution. The group charges President Bush Jr. and his presidential administration with torture, warrantless wiretaps, excessive use of signing statements, illegally invading Iraq and committing fraud related to Iraq.This resolution to impeach President George Bush Jr. has 20 sponsors.
To see further details on the movement to impeach President George Bush Jr. and members of the Bush Jr. Administration please click here.
The following are details on the bill passed in Montpelier, the state capital of Vermont, by the the Vermont General Assembly and the bill as passed by the Vermont House of Representatives (the lower house/chamber of the Vermont General Assembly), before the Bill reached the Vermont Senate;
Published by:
The Vermont General Assembly
115 State Street
Montpelier, Vermont
Bill:
HR0011
Title:
HOUSE RESOLUTION CALLING FOR ORDERLY WITHDRAWAL OF AMERICAN MILITARY FORCES FROM IRAQ
Currently:
Adopted
Sponsor(s):
Fisher, Michael
Bissonnette, Clement
Cheney, Margaret
Edwards, Sarah
et al. (numerous sponsors)
Request No:
07-0850
Drafter:
Chernick
House Status:
Current Status:
ADOPTED
Status Date:
02/13/2007
Date
Action
Jrn. Page
1st Reading:
02/09/2007
2st Reading:
02/13/2007
AMEND
3st Reading:
House Committee Reports:
There are no House committee reports for this bill.
House Amendments (Individual):
Member
Date
Cal.
Action
Jrn.
JrnDate
Wright, Kurt
02/13/2007
Agreed to
02/13/2007
Krawczyk, Joseph L.
02/13/2007
Disagreed to
02/13/2007
House Roll Call Votes:
Date
Question
Ayes
Nays
P/F
Jrn
JrnDate
02/13/2007
Shall the resolution be amended as recommended by Wright of Burlington?
120
24
P
02/13/2007
02/13/2007
Shall the resolution be committed to the committee on General, Housing, and Military Affairs?
49
95
F
02/13/2007
02/13/2007
Shall the resolution be amended as recommended by Krawczyk of Bennington?
49
92
F
02/13/2007
02/13/2007
Shall the resolution be adopted?
95
52
P
02/13/2007
Senate Status:
There is no Senate status for this bill.
Conference Committees:
There are no conference committees for this bill.
Governor’s Actions
There are no Governor’s actions for this bill.
Text of the Vermont Bill:
Montpelier, Vermont
House Resolution
House resolution calling for the orderly withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq to commence immediately
Offered by: Representatives Fisher of Lincoln, Ancel of Calais, Aswad of Burlington, Atkins of Winooski, Bissonnette of Winooski, Botzow of Pownal, Bray of New Haven, Brooks of Montpelier, Cheney of Norwich, Clarkson of Woodstock, Condon of Colchester, Copeland-Hanzas of Bradford, Davis of Washington, Deen of Westminster, Donovan of Burlington, Dostis of Waterbury, Edwards of Brattleboro, Emmons of Springfield, Frank of Underhill, French of Randolph, Gilbert of Fairfax, Grad of Moretown, Haas of Rochester, Head of S. Burlington, Heath of Westford, Hosford of Waitsfield, Howard of Rutland City, Hunt of Essex, Hutchinson of Randolph, Jerman of Essex, Jewett of Ripton, Johnson of South Hero, Keenan of St. Albans City, Kitzmiller of Montpelier, Klein of East Montpelier, Larson of Burlington, Lippert of Hinesburg, Lorber of Burlington, Maier of Middlebury, Malcolm of Pawlet, Marek of Newfane, Martin of Springfield, Martin of Wolcott, Masland of Thetford, McCullough of Williston, Milkey of Brattleboro, Miller of Shaftsbury, Minter of Waterbury, Mitchell of Barnard, Moran of Wardsboro, Mrowicki of Putney, Nease of Johnson, Nuovo of Middlebury, Obuchowski of Rockingham, Ojibway of Hartford, Orr of Charlotte, Partridge of Windham, Pearson of Burlington, Pellett of Chester, Peltz of Woodbury, Pillsbury of Brattleboro, Potter of Clarendon, Pugh of S. Burlington, Randall of Troy, Rodgers of Glover, Shand of Weathersfield, Sharpe of Bristol, Spengler of Colchester, Sweaney of Windsor, Symington of Jericho, Trombley of Grand Isle, Weston of Burlington, Zenie of Colchester and Zuckerman of Burlington
Whereas, in March 2003, the United States initiated a military incursion into Iraq, and
Whereas, every member of the House of Representatives has only the greatest respect for our military forces now deployed in Iraq and the surrounding nations, and any criticism of our nation’s policy in the region must not be interpreted as lack of support for the men and women in our armed forces whose bravery is on display each day as they risk their lives, and
Whereas, approximately 2,300 Vermont National Guard troops have served in Iraq since March of 2003, and
Whereas, Vermont has had the highest number of soldiers per capita who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in this war, and
Whereas, approximately 80 Vermont National Guard troops are now deployed in Iraq, and more could be deployed in the coming months if the Bush Administration policies continue in the current direction, and
Whereas, at the time the Iraq conflict started in March 2003, the American public was told that the primary reason for this incursion was to eliminate weapons of mass destruction that the Iraqi leader, Saddam Hussein, had allegedly stockpiled, and it has been since documented that no weapons of mass destruction were stockpiled in Iraq at the time the American military forces entered that country, and
Whereas, it is now apparent that the U.S. Department of Defense did not develop an exit strategy prior to the invasion, falsely assuming that the Iraqi people would welcome United States forces with open arms, and that withdrawal would not be a difficult problem, and
Whereas, the continuing and daily onslaught of sectarian violence and indications of ethnic cleansing in some areas of the nation have proven disruptive to nearly all aspects of Iraqi society, and
Whereas, over 3,000 American military personnel have died since March 2003, and
Whereas, many Vermont veterans have returned home from Iraq and the region with significant unmet physical and mental health care needs, and
Whereas, the cost of this war according to the Congressional Research Service is at least $379 billion, and
Whereas, based on the state’s population, Vermont’s share of the cost exceeds $750 million, and
Whereas, these costs will have a significant impact on Vermont households and the Vermont state budget process for years to come, and
Whereas, the Bush Administration recently called for and has started to implement an escalation in the number of American military troops actively engaged in Iraq, now therefore be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives:
That this legislative body believes that an escalation of American troops in Iraq is exactly the wrong foreign policy direction, and that the presence of American troops in Iraq has not, and will not, contribute to the stability of that nation, the region, or the security of Americans at home or abroad, and be it further
Resolved: That this legislative body urges Governor Douglas to enlist the support of other members of the National Governors Association to speak out against the war in Iraq and the announced troop surge and to support a withdrawal from Iraq of American troops, and be it further
Resolved: That this legislative body urges the President and Congress to commence immediately the orderly withdrawal of American military forces from Iraq, and be it further
Resolved: That this legislative body calls on the Bush Administration and Congress to fund fully all veterans’ benefits to care appropriately for our brave men and women when they return from this war, and be it further
Resolved: That the clerk of the house be directed to send a copy of this resolution to Governor Douglas, the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and the Vermont Congressional Delegation.
____________________________
Bill Attested to:
Gaye R. Symington
Speaker of the House
____________________________
Recorded by Donald G. Milne
Clerk for the Vermont House of Representatives
