Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus

The Out of Iraq Congressional Caucus is a caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives. It consists of House members who advocate the departure of American troops from Iraq. The caucus is comprised of 73 members of the 110th Congress, all of whom belong to the Democratic Party.

History
The caucus was created in June 2005 to unite members of the House in favor of returning American troops from Iraq. The group's chair, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said the following when announcing it's formation:

"'The Out of Iraq Congressional Working Group is a newly formed effort whose sole purpose is to be the main agitators in the movement to bring our troops home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Our efforts will include the coordination of activities and legislation designed to achieve our goal of returning our troops home. Through floor statements, press conferences, TV and radio appearances and other actions, we will provide leadership for the American Public who has been waiting too long for our collective voices against the war.'"

In a speech on the floor of the House shortly after the group's first meeting, Waters emphasized that the group was not calling for an exit from Iraq on any specific date. Rather, she said it more generally opposed a continued U.S. presence in the country. Waters promised that the caucus would do the following towards this aim:


 * Provide support to other members of Congress and caucuses who wish to leave Iraq.
 * Provide support to citizens and organized national groups who wish to leave Iraq.
 * Organize workshops and seminars for the purpose of encouraging an exit from Iraq.
 * Travel across the country to explain the rationale for their position.
 * Be available to meet with the families of service members who have been killed or injured in Iraq.

Members
The following are founding members of the Out of Iraq Caucus:


 * 1) Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Chair, Co-Founder
 * 2) Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), Co-Founder
 * 3) Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), Co-Founder
 * 4) Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), Co-Founder
 * 5) Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), Co-Founder
 * 6) Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Co-Founder
 * 7) Rep. William Delahunt (D-Mass.), Co-Founder
 * 8) Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), Co-Founder

The remaining members of the caucus (for the 110th Congress) include:


 * 1) Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii)
 * 2) Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.)
 * 3) Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.)
 * 4) Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.)
 * 5) Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.)
 * 6) Rep. Michael Capuano (D-Mass.)
 * 7) Rep. Julia Carson (D-Ind.)
 * 8) Rep. Donna Christensen (D-V.I.)
 * 9) Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.)
 * 10) Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.)
 * 11) Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.)
 * 12) Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.)
 * 13) Rep. Danny Davis (D-Ill.)
 * 14) Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.)
 * 15) Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas)
 * 16) Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.)
 * 17) Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.)
 * 18) Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.)
 * 19) Rep. Bob Filner (D-Calif.)
 * 20) Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.)
 * 21) Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.)
 * 22) Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.)
 * 23) Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.)
 * 24) Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.)
 * 25) Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.)
 * 26) Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.)
 * 27) Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas)
 * 28) Rep. William Jefferson (D-La.)
 * 29) Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas)
 * 30) Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones (D-Ohio)
 * 31) Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio)
 * 32) Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.)
 * 33) Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio)
 * 34) Rep. John Larson (D-Conn.)
 * 35) Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.)
 * 36) Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.)
 * 37) Rep. James McGovern (D-Mass.)
 * 38) Rep. Michael McNulty (D-N.Y.)
 * 39) Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)
 * 40) Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.)
 * 41) Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Mass.)
 * 42) Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.)
 * 43) Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)
 * 44) Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.)
 * 45) Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.)
 * 46) Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.)
 * 47) Rep. Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-D.C.)
 * 48) Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.)
 * 49) Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.)
 * 50) Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)
 * 51) Rep. Donald Payne (D-N.J.)
 * 52) Rep. Nick Rahall (D-W.Va.)
 * 53) Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.)
 * 54) Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.)
 * 55) Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.)
 * 56) Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.)
 * 57) Rep. Bobby Scott (D-Va.)
 * 58) Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.)
 * 59) Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.)
 * 60) Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.)
 * 61) Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.)
 * 62) Rep. John Tierney (D-Mass.)
 * 63) Rep. Ed Towns (D-N.Y.)
 * 64) Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.)
 * 65) Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.)
 * 66) Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.)

* Membership for the 110th Congress was provided by the office of Caucus Chair Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), 01/23/2007.

2008
In February 2008, the Caucus sent a letter to Attorney General Mukasey requesting details about the ban on Permanent Bases in Iraq. 

2006
In June 2006, Waters declared a victory for the caucus when reports said that General George Casey, the top military commander in Iraq at the time, hoped to reduce the number of combat brigades in Iraq from fourteen to "five or six" by December 2007. The plan, she argued, was similar to that proposed by Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), who advocated redeploying American troops out of the country "at the earliest possible date." 

Resources

 * Democracy Rising: Caucus membership as of September 2006

Articles

 * "Fifty House Democrats form 'Out of Iraq caucus'," The Raw Story, June 20, 2005.
 * Danny Schechter, "Time to Go? Behind the Calls for an Exit Strategy," Common Dreams, June 20, 2005.
 * "PDA Announces Support of Newly Established "Out of Iraq Caucus" at PDA Downing Street Memo Rally," Progressive Democrats of America, June 2005.
 * "House of Representatives announces formation of Out of Iraq caucus," Bella Ciao, June 21, 2005.
 * Josephine Hearn, "Citing military plans, Rep. Maxine Waters declares a victory for Out of Iraq Caucus," The Hill, June 27, 2006.

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * Exit Strategy from Iraq