Long Island’s normally unified Democrats split in multiple directions over contentious amendments to the House defense authorization bill this week.
Reps. Tim Bishop (D-Southampton) and Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) voted for an amendment offered by Rep. Robert Andrews (D-New Jersey) that would have blocked the use of funds for Iraq and Afghanistan for the planning of a war against Iran. Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) was too late getting to the floor to cast a vote, but said he also would have voted ‘yea.’ Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-Jamaica Estates) voted against it. The amendment was defeated 202-216. Ackerman argues that while he doesn’t want the U.S. to go to war with Iran, he wants to send a strong message abroad. "I think that it’s important for those suckers in Iran to think that we’re capable of doing anything, while we’re negotiating with them," he said.
Israel and Bishop both said they thought funds designated for Iraq and Afghanistan should not be diverted from their intended purpose.
Louise Radnofsky
Bishop was the only local member to vote Wednesday for Oregon Democratic Rep. Peter DeFazio’s amendment to require Congress to explicitly authorize pre-emptive military action against Iran.
He cited Congress’ status as a co-equal branch of government and said that the requirement was not "unreasonable." Ackerman, Israel and McCarthy all voted against it, and the amendment failed by 136 votes to 288.
Israel said of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, "This is a guy who has actually threatened overtly and publicly to annihilate other countries, and I don’t believe in view of those circumstances we should send him mixed signals."
Ackerman and Bishop were among 114 Democrats and 5 Republicans to support an amendment from Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-California) to require the Secretary of Defense to report on the continued relevance of Cold War weapons systems, while Israel and McCarthy joined 301 members to vote against it.
Bishop thought the principle of the proposal was "very prudent", and Ackerman said it was important to re-evaluate weaponry as the U.S. fought a new type of war. Israel found it "just too piecemeal."
McCarthy said that in all three votes, she had been influenced by the advice of members of the relevant House committees.
Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), the lone Republican congressman in the delegation, voted no on all three amendments.
Comments (1)
so wait. I am confused, is it a Democratic Congress or a Republican Congress? Peter King was on the "winning" side of all the votes.