RUBBER STAMP
Republican Tim Murphy
(PA-18)

Tim Murphy is already facing an FBI investigation into allegations that he abused taxpayer dollars by using his Congressional staff for his re-election campaign. Now he has another problem: A lack of credibility on Iraq. Tim Murphy says he supports establishing criteria for success in Iraq, but then voted against it. He publicly criticized the Bush administration's troop surge, then voted for it. He says he supports the troops, but voted against giving them a $1,500, and even voted against funding to repair their equipment. Tim Murphy says he's concerned about the direction of the war, but has consistently rubberstamped the Bush administration's failed policies. You just can't believe what Tim Murphy says.

Case #1: Our Troops

Tim Murphy's Rhetoric

  • 2/17/07: Tim Murphy Says He'll Side with the Soldiers
    "If I have to err on any side, I'll err on the side of the soldiers," Tim Murphy said in 2007. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania), 2/17/07]
  • 2/15/07: Tim Murphy Says He'll Support Our Troops
    "While our soldiers are there, I will support them with everything they need in terms of armor and ammunition, bullets and bread, weapons and words," Murphy said in 2007. "I will continue to work for all of these things, but for this point in time, while our soldiers are on the battlefield, I want to be able to look them in the eye and say I backed you up in your moment of battle." [Murphy Statement, 2/15/07]
  • 12/6/06: Tim Murphy Says We Need to Show Troops Our Appreciation
    "When we see, on the other hand, people trying to undermine us and telling us what we are doing is not meaningful, and wrong, it is tough for our soldiers to do it," Murphy said in 2005. [Federal News Service, Press Conference Transcript, 12/6/05]
  • 11/9/05: Tim Murphy Says Troops Need to Know Whether We Support Them
    "People are in Iraq fighting," Murphy said. "They need to know whether or not we support them... " [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania), 11/19/05]
  • 1/6/05: Murphy Says That the National Guard is "Critical" to Success in Iraq
    "Never before has America depended more on its National Guard, especially those of Pennsylvania," Murphy said. "Their actions are absolutely critical to the success of our coalition in Iraq." [Murphy Release, 1/6/05]

The Real Tim Murphy Record

  • 10/17/03: Opposed A Salary Bonus For Our Troops, Guard, Reserve
    In 2003, Tim Murphy voted against providing service members a $1,500 salary bonus to every American service member serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including National Guard and reserve forces. [HR 3289, Vote #554, 10/17/2003]
  • 10/17/03: Opposed Equipment Repair, Quality of Life Enhancements for Troops
    In 2003, Tim Murphy voted $3.6 billion to pay for quality of life enhancements for U.S. service members, including the repair and replacement of damaged equipment, medical and dental screening of military reservists, family assistance centers, pre-paid phone cards for the troops in Iraq, the transportation of troops on rest-and-relaxation leave. [Washington Post, 10/17/03; HR 3289, Vote #547, 10/16/03]



Case #2: The Direction of the War

Tim Murphy's Rhetoric

  • 7/12/07: Tim Murphy Says He Isn't Satisfied With Progress in Iraq
    "I am not satisfied with the overall level of success of the Iraqi military and government and believe time is running out if we continue in this direction," Murphy said in 2007. [Murphy Statement, 7/12/07]
  • 2/15/07: Tim Murphy Says That He is Concerned Over Direction of War
    "I want the American men and women serving in Iraq to come home. I want this war to end... Like you I am deeply concerned about the direction of this war." [Murphy Statement, 2/15/07]
  • 2/15/07: Tim Murphy Says Iraqi Military Needs to Step Up
    "I want the Iraqi military to step up and take over combat operations, to be the tip of the spear and for our troops to shift our mission to training, and support." [Murphy Statement, 2/15/07]
  • 2/17/07: Tim Murphy Criticized Bush Escalation Plan
    According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, also criticized the surge, calling upon Iraqis to take up a greater share of the war's burden." [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania), 2/17/07]
  • 1/10/07: Tim Murphy Says Iraqis Need to Step Up
    "The Iraqi people need to decide if they want to run their country or succumb to sectarian militia rule, as well as Iranian and Syrian insurgents. That decision is theirs to make," Murphy said. [Murphy Press Release, 1/10/07]

The Real Tim Murphy Record

  • 11/3/05: Voted to Kill Hearings on Bush Iraq Policy
    In 2005, Tim Murphy voted to kill a bid by Democrats for the House to begin conducting oversight hearings into a wide range of administration actions and policies relating to the war in Iraq. [Washington Post, 11/06/05; Motion to Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair, Vote #562, 11/03/05]
  • 11/29/05: Tim Murphy Says Iraq is "Moving Forward"
    "The streets are filled with cars and people; the shops are packed - we could see as we flew over them," Tim Murphy said in 2005. "It's moving forward." [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania), 11/29/05]
  • 12/6/05: Tim Murphy Says Iraq Has Made "Tremendous Progress"
    "I think [Iraq has] made tremendous progress," Murphy said in 2005. [Congressional Quarterly Today, 12/6/05]
  • 6/16/07: Voted to Endorse Bush Policy in Iraq
    In 2006, Tim Murphy voted for a resolution endorsing President Bush's Iraq policy while declaring that the United States will prevail in the war against terrorism. The resolution also took a stand against setting withdrawal dates. [CQ Today, 6/16/06; HRS 861, Vote #288, 6/16/06]
  • 2/16/07: Voted to Rubberstamp Bush Escalation Plan
    In 2007, Tim Murphy voted against a resolution expressing support for U.S. military personnel serving in Iraq while disapproving of President Bush's decision to deploy more than 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to that country. [HCONRES 63, Vote #99, 2/16/07]



Case #3: Benchmarks

Tim Murphy's Rhetoric

  • 11/28/05: Tim Murphy Says He Firmly Believes We Need to Set Criteria for Success in Iraq
    "What this comes down to, I firmly believe this is not an area we should be working in terms of a time frame to remove ourselves out of Iraq by some artificial timetable; rather, to go with clear criteria, a step-by-step process that the elections take place, Iraq secures their government, the Iraqi security forces seek to control areas, and as they do that, we pull back more and more in a systematic way," Murphy said. "So in other words, it's a condition-based, not a time-based movement." [Federal News Service, Press Conference Transcript, 11/28/05]
  • 11/28/05: Tim Murphy Says People Should Know if We're Making Progress
    "The people have every right to know each step on the road to progress. They need to know the Iraqis are highly motivated and taking critical steps to take control of their own security and government. As that occurs, our troops can pull back to provide logistical and backup support," Murphy said. "A withdrawal of our troops should be based on achieving these goals." [Murphy Press Release, 11/28/05]
  • 3/22/07: Tim Murphy Says He Would Welcome Timeline for Iraqis
    "I would welcome an open, bipartisan discussion for benchmarks and a timeline for Iraqis to meet," Tim Murphy said in 2007. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania), 3/22/07]

The Real Tim Murphy Record

  • 7/28/05: Voted Against Setting Benchmarks for Success in Iraq
    In 2005, Tim Murphy voted against requiring President Bush to set benchmarks for measuring U.S. progress in Iraq in areas such as defeating the insurgency, establishing democratic institutions and bringing U.S. troops home. [HR 2601, Vote #398, 7/20/05]
  • 2007: Opposed Bringing Troops Home by August 2008
    In 2007, Tim Murphy voted against a bill that would set in motion a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq by August 2008. [CQ House Action Reports, No. 110-3, 3/20/07; HR 1591, Vote #186, 3/23/07]
  • 4/25/07: Opposed Requiring Iraqi Government to Meet Benchmarks for Success
    In 2007, Tim Murphy voted against a bill that set a goal of redeploying most U.S. combat troops in Iraq by the end of March 2008, if the president can certify the Iraq government is meeting benchmarks, and by the end of 2007 if he cannot. [HR 1591, Vote #265, 4/25/07]
  • 5/2/07: Rubberstamped Bush Veto of Benchmarks for Iraq
    In 2007, Tim Murphy voted against an attempt to override President Bush's veto of legislation to require accountability in Iraq. The bill set as a goal of redeploying most U.S. combat troops in Iraq by the end of March 2008, if the president can certify the Iraq government is meeting benchmarks. [Congressional Quarterly; HR 1591, Vote #276, 5/2/07]
  • 5/10/07: Opposed Requiring Bush to Report on Progress in Iraq
    In 2007, Tim Murphy voted in favor of a motion to kill a requirement that the Bush administration report to Congress on benchmarks for success in Iraq. [HR 2206, Vote #332, 5/10/07]
  • 5/10/07: Voted Against Benchmarks for Iraqi Government
    In 2007, Tim Murphy voted against legislation to require the president to report on progress the Iraqi government has made toward meeting specified benchmarks and goals. [Congressional Quarterly; HR 2206, Vote #333, 5/10/07]
  • 7/12/07: Opposed Accountability in Iraq, Redeployment of Troops
    In July 2007, Tim Murphy voted against a bill to require the Defense secretary to begin redeploying U.S. troops and contractors out of Iraq within 120 days of the bill's enactment. [Congressional Quarterly; HR 2956, Vote #624, 7/12/07]



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