[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3142 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3142

To declare that it is the policy of the United States not to maintain a 
           long-term or permanent military presence in Iraq.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 30, 2005

  Mr. Allen (for himself, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. 
  Inslee, Mr. McNulty, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. McDermott) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on International 
 Relations, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a 
 period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the 
                          committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To declare that it is the policy of the United States not to maintain a 
           long-term or permanent military presence in Iraq.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Iraq Sovereignty Promotion Act of 
2005''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) On April 13, 2004, President George W. Bush stated that 
        ``as a proud and independent people, Iraqis do not support an 
        indefinite occupation and neither does America'' and that the 
        United States will remain in Iraq ``as long as necessary and 
        not one day more''.
            (2) On February 17, 2005, Secretary of Defense Donald 
        Rumsfeld assured the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate 
        that ``we have no intention, at the present time, of putting 
        permanent bases in Iraq''.
            (3) The clear majority of voters interviewed in exit polls 
        during Iraq's January 2005 election cited their desire to see 
        an end to the United States and foreign military occupation as 
        a major impetus for voting.
            (4) The perception that the United States intends to 
        permanently occupy Iraq aids insurgent groups in recruiting 
        supporters and fuels violent activity.
            (5) The lack of a clear statement that the United States 
        does not seek a long-term or permanent presence in Iraq 
        perpetuates the perception among Iraqis that the United States 
        has aims in Iraq other than the promotion of democracy.
            (6) A clear statement that the United States does not seek 
        a long-term or permanent presence in Iraq does not imply the 
        setting of a particular deadline, time frame, or exit strategy.
            (7) A clear statement that the United States does not seek 
        a long-term or permanent presence in Iraq would send a strong 
        signal to the people of Iraq and the international community 
        that the United States fully supports the efforts of the Iraqi 
        people to regain through their elected representatives the full 
        exercise of national sovereignty, including control over 
        security and public safety.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States supports the men and women of the 
        United States Armed Forces, the people of Iraq, and the leaders 
        of Iraq's elected government; and
            (2) the people of the United States support the Iraqi 
        people's desire to rebuild Iraq as a fully sovereign, stable, 
        and peaceful democratic country.

SEC. 4. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It is the policy of the United States not to maintain a long-term 
or permanent military presence in Iraq.
                                 <all>