February 5
The Occupation Project officially begins.
President Bush will submit his supplemental spending request to Congress either this week, or he may have submitted it the prior week. Some press reports are that he will submit the request on February 5 itself.
This is the date on which, in 2003, Colin Powell made his infamous speech to the United Nations justifying the U.S. led invasion of Iraq.
Ehren Watada’s court martial is scheduled to begin. He has joined many others, including Katherine Jashinksi, Camilo Mejia, Kevin Benderman, and Pablo Paredes, in risking imprisonment—and being imprisoned—rather than participating in the Iraq war.
February 12
John Murtha, Chair of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, states he will hold hearings on the supplemental spending package. Unfortunately, committee and subcommittee hearing schedules and topics are typically not announced until the week they are to occur. Will this be the week that the Murtha chaired hearings begin?
February 19
Congress is in recess this week. All Representatives will be in their home districts and all Senators will be in their home states. Also, on February 22, 1943, Sophie Scholl, Hans Scholl, and Christoph Probst—members of the White Rose student resistance movement in Nazi Germany—were found guilty and executed for their actions.
March 5
Last year, the House Appropriations Committee held a single day hearing during this week on the supplemental spending bill and passed it by voice vote. Will the same happen this year?
March 12
In both 2005 and 2006, the full House of Representatives passed the supplemental spending bill submitted by President Bush. While it cannot be definitively stated when the full House will vote on the supplemental spending bill this year, the speed with which it passed in 2005 and 2006 gives some indication of when it will be voted upon this year.
Each year, Congress took a one week recess that began immediately before St. Patrick’s Day. This year, Congress will not take its recess until the week of April 2 and it will be a two week recess this year.
Hearings in the Senate Appropriations Committee will likely also have begun by this time.
March 16 to 19
Declaration of Peace is organizing for nonviolent civil disobedience to occur throughout the U.S. during this week. It is entirely possible that this period will be immediately prior to a full House vote on the supplemental spending bill. For more information, visit DoP’s website at www.declarationofpeace.org
April 2
Congress begins a two week recess. The House will almost certainly have voted on the supplemental spending bill prior to the start of this recess. Senators will be in their home states and Representatives will be in their home districts. As it regards the supplemental spending bill, the focal point will be on Senators at this time.
However, it now appears that President Bush will include full Iraq war funding for October 1, 2007 to September 30, 2008 in the regular budget request he will submit to Congress (also this February). So office visits to Representatives demanding that they vote against funding the Iraq war in the regular budget process will also be necessary during this recess.
April 9
In 1945, Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed on April 9 for his participation in the German resistance to the Nazi regime and Hitler. What is the responsibility of citizens in a country which has launched a World War?
April 16
Congress returns to D.C. The full Senate will likely vote on the supplemental spending bill sometime between now and the end of April. In 2005, the Senate passed the supplemental spending bill on or about April 16. In 2006, the Senate passed the supplemental spending bill on or about May 4.
