Media

"With this veto, the president has doomed us to repeating a terrible history. President Bush's current position is hauntingly reminiscent of March 1968 in Vietnam. At that time, both the Secretary of Defense and the President had recognized that the war could not be won militarily - just as our military commanders in Iraq have acknowledged. But not wanting to be tainted with losing a war, President Johnson authorized a surge of 25,000 troops. At that point, there had been 24,000 U.S. troops killed in action. Five years later, when the withdrawal of U.S. troops was complete, we had suffered 34,000 additional combat deaths."

- Lt. Gen. Robert Gard, USA, Ret.

TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:

I am returning herewith without my approval H.R. 1591, the "U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007."

Read the veto (.pdf)>>

The House is debating whether to override the President's veto of the Iraq Accountability Act. Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "Next, the President said that we are substituting, Congress is substituting our judgment for the judgment of commanders in the field, 6,000 miles away. Wrong again, Mr. President. We are substituting our judgment for your judgment, 16 blocks down Pennsylvania Avenue in the White House. We are substituting the judgment of this Congress for your failed judgment. The American people have lost faith in the President's conduct of the war. They have said they want accountability and a new direction -- this bill gives them both."

Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel speaks on new revelations of corruption in the White House:

Rep. Emanuel: "Madam Speaker, the list of Republicans under investigation or resigning in this administration in disgrace keeps growing..."

Full transcript:

This morning, moments after a message with the President's veto of the Iraq Accountability Act was delivered on the House floor, Reps. Tim Walz (MN-01) and Lloyd Doggett (TX-25) spoke against it in one-minute speeches:

Rep. Walz: "Yesterday the President vetoed only the second bill that has ever come to his desk. He called it 'a prescription for chaos and confusion.' I ask, how is that different from what we have now?"

From the Committee on Education and Labor:

Chairman Miller Opens New Line of Inquiry into Student Loan Industry

Miller Asks Federal Trade Commission to Investigate Deceptive Lender Marketing Practices

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- U.S. Rep. George Miller (D-CA), chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, today opened a new line of inquiry into the $85-billion-a-year student loan industry by asking the Federal Trade Commission to investigate the unfair and deceptive practices that lenders use to market their products and services to students. Until now, Miller's investigation has focused primarily on the conflicts of interest and financial relationships among lenders, schools, and public officials responsible for administering federal student aid programs.

From the Science Committee:

Subcommittee Will Examine the Consequences of Transitioning the Environmental Measurements Laboratory to the Department of Homeland Security

(Washington, DC) Tomorrow, Chairman Brad Miller (D-NC) and the House Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight will hear from witnesses on circumstances surrounding the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) incredible mismanagement of one of its three laboratories, the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML).

Background:

Speaker Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and Democratic leaders responded to President Bush's veto of the Iraq Supplemental bill today. Below are her remarks:

Thank you, Mr. Leader.

Earlier today, the Leader and I sent to the President a bill that made a strong commitment to support our men and women in uniform, and a strong commitment to honor our promises to our veterans. This was a bill that was worthy of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform.

It was a bill that honored and respected the wishes of the American people to have benchmarks, to have guidelines, to have standards for what is happening in Iraq. Again, out of respect for the wishes of the American people.