Democrats Pass Bipartisan Bill To Stop War Profiteering

[LeighAnn]

Source: KXMB Bismark

By a vote of 375-3, the House has passed the War Profiteering Prevention Act, H.R. 400. The bill makes war profiteering a felony. If this legislation becomes law, anyone found guilty of profiting excessively from military action or reconstruction may be subject to 20 years in prison and fines up to $1 millionor as much as twice the illegal profits of their crime.

Last week, the Democratic Congress also passed legislation that would bring all United States government contractors in the Iraq war zone under the jurisdiction of American criminal law. The measure would require the F.B.I. to investigate any allegations of wrongdoing.



Read more: http://www.kxmb.com/News/Nation/170071.asp

[Jacobin]

1. That's putting a turd in the GOP punchbowl

:thumbsup:

:bounce:

[ixion]

2. gee, and only four-and-a-half years later...

I guess better late than never. :eyes:

[ClassWarrior]

13. As usual for some, there's s no development so good...

...that it can't be ruined by bitter, impotent pissing and moaning.

NGU.

[skipos]

15. No shit.

Why didn't this bill come about in the last few years? Oh, right, the Republicans had majorities then.

[ClassWarrior]

18. This is part of a knee-jerk reaction that folks at Rockridge...

...have identified as damaging to our democracy:

The Dangerous Framing of Congress as an Inept Community
http://www.rockridgenation.org/blog/archive/2007/07/24/the-dangerous-framing-of-congress-as-an-inept-community

NGU.

[ryanmuegge]

48. I understand. I'm aware that they don't have th votes.

I'm just saying that it probably isn't going to stop war profiteering.

I think Congress has been doing way too much Republican bidding (the Petraus ad vote, Limbaugh, things like that)

A lot of criticism of the Democratic Congress is unwarranted, since they don't have the votes to do anything.

[Telly Savalas]

30. Why didn't this bill come about nine months ago?

[ClassWarrior]

33. Just to piss you off.

:eyes:

NGU.

[WilliamPitt]

46. Um...

Never mind.

[Donnachaidh]

3. who voted against it?

And I wonder who they are working for. :sarcasm:

[Whoa_Nelly]

6. Here's the breakdown on who voted

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/vote.xpd?vote=h2007-950

[bluestateguy]

8. Tom Davis voted NO?

That will look real good in his Senate race next year.

[rpannier]

12. Tom Davis...He loves war profiteers...

Catchy campaign slogan. Don't you think?

[LakeSamish706]

4. This is an absolute awesome piece of legislation IMO. n/t

[Donnachaidh]

5. NON-voting names

Bean
Bishop (UT)
Blumenauer
Boren
Butterfield
Buyer
Capps
Carson
Clyburn
Coble
Cubin
Dingell
Doyle
Everett
Giffords
Gingrey
Hastert
Higgins
Hinchey
Hobson
Hodes
Hunter
Jindal
Johnson (IL)
Johnson, E. B.
Jordan
Knollenberg
Kucinich
LaHood
Lucas
Maloney (NY)
Marchant
McCrery
McMorris Rodgers
Meeks (NY)
Miller, Gary
Mitchell
Mollohan
Murtha
Neal (MA)
Paul
Peterson (PA)
Pryce (OH)
Reichert
Rothman
Smith (NJ)
Space
Tancredo
Tiberi
Udall (CO)
Wamp
Weller
Wexler

I'm surprised -- Kucinich didn't vote? I'm NOT surprised that my guy, that WEASEL Phil Gingrey, doesn't have the CAJONES to vote against his base. We have a lot of contractors/mercenaries in my area.

[Psephos]

28. Murtha didn't vote?

Uncool.

Mollohan didn't either - no surprise there.

[KoKo]

37. Why did so many not vote on this? Wexler, Hinchley...Kucinich, Clyburn

Dingell? These are all Dems who should have voted. :shrug:

[Baby Snooks]

7. If...

If it becomes law. Has to survive the Senate and then the war profiteer sitting in the White House. Although I guess he could sign it and then just pardon anyone and everyone who might be charged under it.

[Amonester]

31. Nah... the AWOL pretzeldent will just wait for his master (Vador)

to show him the line on the bottom of the (usual) secret signing statement that will put them and their BFEE cronies above this law (like the thousand or so before it).

Signing it and then to just pardon anyone and everyone who mignt be charged under it is too much "hard werk" and besides, it's also too much visible for these fascists' tastes...

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Good news, for a change!

And no need to castigate any Dems (even better!)

Can't believe three R's stood alone against all others to preserve war profiteering. :wtf:

[MasonJar]

10. I fear that it is NOT retroactive or Haliburton would no longer continue to exist.

[rpannier]

11. It's amazing...four years later and this is just getting passed!!!

In WWII, that was passed very early.

Wonder if scrub will veto it.

[ClassWarrior]

14. Yeah, for heaven's sakes, why didn't that honest, Gawd-fearin' GOP Congress...

...pass that in the first year??

:eyes:

NGU.

[skipos]

16. Yeah, I thought Dems=Repubs, Gore=Bush and all that?!?

I am so confused.

[rocktivity]

19. The Dems weren't in power in the House four years ago.

Give them credit where credit is due, please. And cue the Vonage theme!

:woohoo:
rocknation

[Zookeeper]

17. Holey-moley! That's the best news I've heard in a very long...

time! It's hard to believe it's really true! (The skeptic in me says there must be a loophole or the Rethugs wouldn't let it pass.)

Today, I found my house egged for the second time in 3 weeks and discovered a new leak under a sink. :( I needed something to lift my spirits a bit.

Thanks for posting!!!

[Jackpine Radical]

22. Why is your house being egged?

Any idea? Arte you singled out or is it happening to everybody?

[Zookeeper]

39. Singled out, apparently.

I can only guess that it has something to do with having three teens, although none of them have any rivalries or enemies as far as I can tell. I've always been very welcoming to the kids in the neighborhood and the kids have friends over just about every day. I did have a cop take a look this time, and he's convinced it would be high school age kids. (The good news is that I'm fortunate enough to live in a neighborhood where cops have enough time to respond to issues like "egging.")

So, it's a mystery, but a very aggravating one considering that I've been painting the exterior of my house and the area that was egged was primed and/or painted already. :( (I considered the possibility that my neighbors were sending me a message to hurry up and get it done. ;) )

Thanks for asking, JR.

[humbled_opinion]

20. Good start now end the war and we will have no more profiteering..n/t.

[Divine Discontent]

21. ya..

doesn't a bill ending war profiteering, by default, end this war, or else all those military companies are breaking the law, because the last time I looked, they didn't help defend the 'homeland' for 0% profit...

[humbled_opinion]

23. Very Interesting... Get the law passed then hold them accountable? Hmmm

[Ian David]

24. Bush will vetoe this-- because poor children first. n/t

[fed-up]

25. happy to be the 5th k/r nt

[chill_wind]

26. Great. Pull Halliburton and Blackwater out of there right now. Occupation OVER. n/t.

[pinto]

27. Kudos. Seems an up front oversight bill. A lot of no shows, it'd be interesting to see the reasoning

One of my Reps. was a Not Voting tally. I'm going to call her office tomorrow for some follow up. Could be she was out here (West Coast) in the district and was given the heads up of a clear passage, but who knows.

(aside) The vote, as is, is veto proof.

[robinlynne]

29. cool. The Fbi will be hiring now, cause there are hundreds of allegations to investigate!

[rpannier]

32. Self delete

[JDPriestly]

34. At least they have done something, however ineffective this

measure ma be.

[Vidar]

35. Not nearly severe enough, but a step in the right direction.

Personally, I'd prefer "hanging offense".

[Toots]

36. What is considered "excessive profits"?

Anything more than break even should be the norm but I am afraid they are suggesting something like more than five hundred percent profit. Most business operates on about a 25% profit margin. During war this should be much less for patriotic reasons. It is easy to show less profit by upping your expenses say by giving your CEO huge raises and bonuses. I have a feeling this is a sham bill or it would not have had any Republican support. IMO any profit from war is unacceptable. Not excessive profits but zero profits should be the norm..

[Zookeeper]

40. Yes, I think "excessive" profits is the loophole.

The Rethugs would never approve of anything that slowed the profits of their corporate cronies.

[shanti]

38. what about di fi's husband?

doesn't he have a vested interest in the war?

[ryanmuegge]

41. Oh, they're pulling the troops out, ending the war, and closing the bases?

Oh, nevermind.

[ClassWarrior]

47. As usual for some, there's s no development so good...

...that it can't be ruined by bitter, impotent whining how it's not good enough.

NGU.

[BornagainDUer]

42. I'm angry at the dems for not cutting funding for the war. But these are

good steps to take legislatively.

Of course Bush will do what his Poppy did if a loyal Bushista is found guilty, he'll just pardon them.

But then you have to think as I do that Bushista power (read: Ghouliani or Bush himself) will steal another election, or simply cancel them out of "national security" concerns.

[Odin2005]

43. W will veto it.

I'm guessing that's why so many Pukes voted for it, they know W will veto it but they will still be able to tell the morans that voted for then that they voted against war profiteering and they aren't lapdogs of the chimp.

[tom_paine]

44. It's a start.

n/t

[Demeter]

45. John Dingell, MIA

No surprise there....