Matthews falsely suggested Murtha proposal for Iraq withdrawal "got what, 18 votes?"

Summary: Chris Matthews falsely suggested that a proposal by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) to redeploy U.S. forces from Iraq "got what, 18 votes?" In fact, Murtha's proposal -- to require the president to withdraw American troops from Iraq "at the earliest practicable date" -- has not been put to a vote in the House of Representatives.

On the March 22 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews falsely suggested that a proposal by Rep. John P. Murtha (D-PA) to redeploy U.S. forces from Iraq "got what, 18 votes?" In fact, House Joint Resolution 73, Murtha's proposal that, if approved, would require the president to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq "at the earliest practicable date" has not been put to a vote in the House of Representatives. House Resolution 571, a separate bill proposed by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) that expressed "the sense of the House of Representatives that the deployment of United States forces in Iraq be terminated immediately," was defeated by a vote of 403-3.

Matthews made his comments during a discussion of the Iraq war with MSNBC political analyst Pat Buchanan and Leon Panetta, former chief of staff for President Clinton who is also a member of the Iraq Study Group. In response to Buchanan's assertion that "we'll know by November whether this thing [the war] is doable," Matthews stated:

MATTHEWS: I don't think anybody that's watching now is going to make a decision to pull our troops out in six months. I don't think that's on the table. That was the Murtha proposal that got what, 18 votes?

But Matthews apparently conflated the proposals offered by Murtha and Hunter. Murtha's proposal, which would require the president to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq "at the earliest practicable date," has never been put to a vote in the House. On November 17, 2005, the bill was referred to two House committees -- the International Relations Committee and the Armed Services Committee -- but has seen no action since. In contrast, Hunter's resolution calling for the U.S. troop deployment in Iraq to be "terminated immediately" -- a proposal described in news reports as a "political trap" and "aimed at embarrassing war critics" -- received only three "aye" votes when it was considered in the House. Murtha did not sponsor or vote for this bill, and in a floor statement prior to the vote, Murtha said of Hunter's proposal, "This resolution is not what I envisioned, not what I introduced."

Although neither Murtha's nor Hunter's proposal would "make a decision to pull our troops out [of Iraq] in six months," as Matthews stated, Murtha has stated that he believes a U.S. redeployment from Iraq could be completed within six months. Murtha made this assertion during a November 17, 2005, press conference. From the press conference:

QUESTION: Mr. Murtha, you say -- your first point about bringing them home consistent with the safety of U.S. forces. You know about these matters; what is your sense as to how long that would be?

MURTHA: Well, I think they can get them out of there in six months. I think that we could do it -- you know, you have to do it in a very consistent way. But I think six months would be a reasonable time to get them out of there.

Media Matters for America has previously noted (here and here) other media figures conflating the proposals put forth by Murtha and Hunter.

From the March 22 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

BUCHANAN: I think we'll know by November whether this thing is doable. Look, if this government collapses, and it doesn't come together, and there's a civil war --

[crosstalk]

MATTHEWS: I don't think anybody that's watching now is going to make a decision to pull our troops out in six months. I don't think that's on the table. That was the Murtha proposal that got what, 18 votes?

BUCHANAN: But see -- you've got a good point. The Democrats do not have any proposal on the table other than negativity.

—J.B.