Barbara Lee Calls on Mukasey to Enforce Ban on Permanent Bases

Press Release

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9), and almost 50 Members of Congress, today sent a letter to U.S. attorney General Michael Mukasey asking for details on the steps the office is taking to ensure that the Department of Defense and the white House are complying with the letter of the law regarding the ban on permanent military bases in Iraq. She released the following message:

"At every turn, Congress and the American people are given contradictory messages as to whether the Bush administration intends to comply with the ban on permanent military bases, which the president has signed into law six times. That is unacceptable.

"It is the role of the Attorney General to enforce the law and we want to know exactly what, if anything, Mukasey's office is doing to provide oversight to ensure that the department of defense and the White House are not taking steps under the radar that violates the ban

"The American people do not want a permanent military presence in Iraq. It is time to end this occupation and bring our troops and contractors home."

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-9) is co-chair of the Progressive Caucus and a co-founder of the Out of Iraq Caucus. She sits on the House Appropriations Committee, where she serves on the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Subcommittee, the State Foreign Operations Subcommittee and is Vice-Chair of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee.

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