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Mike Thompson Watch
Mike Thompson voted with a narrow majority to approve H.R. 1591, which continues to finance the Iraq War but calls for beginning to withdraw U.S. troops in 2008. It was a mainly symbolic vote as President Bush has said he would veto the bill and it is unlikely to pass the Senate unless it is watered down. The vote was 218 Yes, 212 No, 4 not voting. Only 2 Republicans voted for the bill, but several Democrats voted against it, including a group wanting a stronger (earlier withdrawal of troops) bill.
The bill allocates $124 billion to pay for the next six months of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill calls for most American troops to be out of Iraq by September 1, 2008. $28 billion of the bill consisted of special items for congressional districts, basically bribes to vote Yes on the bill.
Lynn Woolsey, who represents the congressional district just to the south of Thompson's (in Northern California), voted against the bill because she believes the war should be ended immediately.