[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1123 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1123

Calling on the President of the United States not to commit the United 
    States to any status of forces agreement or any other bilateral 
    agreement with the Republic of Iraq that involves the continued 
presence of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq unless the agreement 
    includes a provision under which the Republic of Iraq agrees to 
reimburse the United States for all costs incurred by the United States 
related to the presence of United States Armed Forces in Iraq after the 
                    effective date of the agreement.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 2008

Mr. Rohrabacher (for himself, Mr. Delahunt, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Coble, Mr. 
  Cohen, Mr. Duncan, Mr. Jones of North Carolina, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr. 
 Royce) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Calling on the President of the United States not to commit the United 
    States to any status of forces agreement or any other bilateral 
    agreement with the Republic of Iraq that involves the continued 
presence of the United States Armed Forces in Iraq unless the agreement 
    includes a provision under which the Republic of Iraq agrees to 
reimburse the United States for all costs incurred by the United States 
related to the presence of United States Armed Forces in Iraq after the 
                    effective date of the agreement.

Whereas, on August 26, 2007, Iraqi leaders sent, and President George W. Bush 
        endorsed, a communique stating the two nations are committed to 
        developing a long-term relationship of cooperation and friendship as two 
        fully sovereign and independent states with common interests;
Whereas, on November 26, 2007, Iraq and the United States signed a Declaration 
        of Principles for a Long-Term Relationship of Cooperation and Friendship 
        Between the Republic of Iraq and the United States of America, that 
        signaled the beginning of a formal discussion towards the forming of a 
        bilateral agreement between the two countries and that contemplated 
        wide-ranging security commitments by the United States for the defense 
        of the Government of Iraq from both internal and external threats;
Whereas the Administration has announced its intention to negotiate this 
        bilateral agreement as two separate pacts, a ``strategic framework 
        agreement'' on broad economic, social, and security issues, and a 
        ``status of forces agreement,'' which in this case would also provide 
        these forces with the ``authority to fight'';
Whereas the Administration has announced that it will not seek the approval of 
        Congress for either agreement, a stance that is disputed by some in 
        Congress and by the judgment of some constitutional scholars to the 
        extent that either agreement includes the obligation or the authority 
        for United States Armed Forces to engage in combat operations;
Whereas the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the annual cost of 
        maintaining about 55,000 troops over the long-term in Iraq would be 
        about $10 billion in a non-combat scenario and $25 billion with combat 
        operations;
Whereas the Congressional Budget Office's estimate assumes only minimal 
        procurement costs for replacing or upgrading war-worn equipment;
Whereas currently there are more than over 140,000 members of the United States 
        Armed Forces serving in Iraq in a combat situation;
Whereas the United States Congress has appropriated over $526,000,000,000 for 
        operations in Iraq;
Whereas for fiscal year 2009, the Administration has included a $70 billion 
        placeholder request for Iraq in the Department of Defense budget;
Whereas the United States is currently experiencing an economic downturn, and 
        the Chairman of the Federal Reserve recently testified before Congress 
        that a ``recession is possible'';
Whereas with 115 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves, Iraq has the 
        world's third-largest endowment of oil, amounting to 11 percent of the 
        global total;
Whereas the current price per barrel of oil is over $110; and
Whereas the current government in Iraq has a vested interest in the continued 
        presence of United States Armed Forces in Iraq: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the United States House of Representatives calls on 
the President of the United States not to commit the United States to 
any status of forces agreement or any other bilateral agreement with 
the Republic of Iraq that involves the presence of the United States 
Armed Forces in Iraq unless the agreement includes a provision under 
which the Republic of Iraq agrees to reimburse the United States for 
all costs incurred by the United States related to the presence of 
United States Armed Forces in Iraq after the effective date of the 
agreement, including the costs of pay and allowances for members of the 
United States Armed Forces serving in Iraq.
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