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Legislators Split Over Funding for Iraq, Afghanistan

Jewish Democrats in Congress were deeply divided by President Bush’s call for $87 billion in emergency funding for military operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Emergency supplementary appropriation bills for Iraq and Afghanistan passed the House of Representatives October 17 by a vote of 303-125 and the Senate the same day by a margin of 87-12.

The appropriation enjoyed overwhelming support from Republicans in both houses of Congress, but was opposed by many House Democrats. A total of 118 House Democrats voted against the measure and only 83 in favor.

Jewish House Democrats were somewhat more supportive of the appropriation than their party caucus, voting 13-11 in favor. In the Senate, Democrats voted solidly in support of the appropriation 37-11, as did Jewish Democrats by a vote of 7-2.

The three Jewish Republicans in Congress — Pennsylvania Senator Arlen Specter, Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman and Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor — all backed the appropriation. Vermont independent Rep. Bernard Sanders voted against it.

U.S. SENATE – S1689

Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.)nay Norm Coleman (R-Minn.)yea Russell Feingold (D-Wisc.)yea Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)yea Herb Kohl (D-Wisc.)yea Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.)nay Carl Levin (D-Mich.)yea Joseph Lieberman (D-Conn.)yea Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.)yea Arlen Specter (R-Pa.)yea Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)yea

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES – HR3289

Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.)yea Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.)yea Howard Berman (D-Calif.)yea Eric Cantor (R-Va.)yea Ben Cardin (D-Md.)yea Susan Davis (D-Calif.)yea Peter Deutsch (D-Fla.)nay Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.)yea Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.)yea Bob Filner (D-Calif.)nay Barney Frank (D-Mass.)nay Martin Frost (D-Texas)yea Jane Harman (D-Calif.)nay Steve Israel (D-N.Y.)yea Tom Lantos (D-Calif.)yea Sander Levin (D-Mich.)yea Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.)yea Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)nay Steve Rothman (D-N.J.)yea Bernard Sanders (Ind-Vt.)nay Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.)nay Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)nay Brad Sherman (D-Calif.)nay Henry Waxman (D-Calif.)nay Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.)nay Robert Wexler (D-Fla.)nay

Emergency Supplementary Appropriations for Iraq and Afghanistan Security and Reconstruction Act 2004

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