[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 706 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 706

Honoring all members of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel serving 
in harm's way and pledging to debate policy decisions regarding the war 
 in Iraq without attacking the integrity of any person, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 2, 2007

 Mr. Hall of New York (for himself, Ms. Corrine Brown of Florida, Mr. 
   McGovern, Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas, Mrs. Maloney of New York, Mr. 
Engel, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Slaughter, Mr. Payne, Mr. McDermott, 
 Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Stark, Mr. Farr, and Mrs. Lowey) submitted 
the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Honoring all members of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel serving 
in harm's way and pledging to debate policy decisions regarding the war 
 in Iraq without attacking the integrity of any person, and for other 
                               purposes.

Whereas on September 26, 2007, right wing radio commentator Rush Limbaugh 
        referred to former soldiers who return home and speak in opposition to 
        the war in Iraq as ``phony soldiers'';
Whereas Major General John Batiste (Ret.), a 31-year Army veteran, a graduate of 
        the United States Military Academy, West Point, and former Commanding 
        General of the First Infantry Division in Iraq, is a strong critic of 
        the management of the Iraq war and has stated that the President has 
        ``pursued a failed strategy that is breaking our great Army and that the 
        President's actions in Iraq have placed our nation in great peril'';
Whereas Major General Paul Eaton (Ret.), a 33-year Army veteran, a graduate of 
        the United States Military Academy, West Point, and former Commanding 
        General of the command assigned with reestablishing the Iraqi Security 
        Forces, stated that because of the war in Iraq that ``our military is 
        overcommitted and America is less secure'';
Whereas seven members of the 82nd Airborne, Army specialist Buddhika Jayamaha, 
        Sergeant Wesley D. Smith, Sergeant Jeremy Roebuck, Sergeant Omar Mora, 
        Sergeant Edward Sandmeier, Staff Sergeant Yance T. Gray, and Staff 
        Sergeant Jeremy A. Murphy, said in an opinion article in the New York 
        Times that ``reports that a majority of Iraqi Army commanders are now 
        reliable partners can be considered only misleading rhetoric'';
Whereas these men further said ``to believe that Americans, with an occupying 
        force that long ago outlived its reluctant welcome, can win over a 
        recalcitrant local population and win this counterinsurgency is far-
        fetched'' and ``we see that a vast majority of Iraqis feel increasingly 
        insecure and view us as an occupation force that has failed to produce 
        normalcy after four years and is increasingly unlikely to do so as we 
        continue to arm each warring side''; and
Whereas on August 12, 2007, Staff Sergeant Murphy was seriously wounded in the 
        line of duty and on September 10, 2007, Staff Sergeant Yance Gray and 
        Sergeant Omar Mora were killed in the line of duty in Iraq: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the service of General John Batiste, General 
        Paul Eaton, Army specialist Buddhika Jayamaha, Sergeant Wesley 
        D. Smith, Sergeant Jeremy Roebuck, Sergeant Edward Sandmeier, 
        as well as all other members of the Armed Forces serving in 
        good standing, in the defense of the United States and honors 
        the personal sacrifices made by these men and their families, 
        and other members of the Armed Forces and their families, to 
        serve with distinction;
            (2) recognizes the service and mourns the loss of Sergeant 
        Omar Mora, Staff Sergeant Yance T. Gray, and the 3,784 members 
        of the Armed Forces who have died in Iraq as of September 27, 
        2007, and extends its sympathies to their families;
            (3) recognizes the service and sacrifice of Staff Sergeant 
        Jeremy A. Murphy, and the more than 24,000 members of the Armed 
        Forces wounded in Iraq;
            (4) rejects conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh's 
        opinion that any of the individuals listed above are ``phony 
        soldiers'';
            (5) condemns in the strongest possible terms the personal 
        attacks made by Rush Limbaugh impugning the integrity and 
        professionalism of any members of the Nation's Armed Forces;
            (6) honors all members of the Armed Forces and civilian 
        personnel serving in harm's way, as well as their families; and
            (7) pledges to debate policy decisions regarding the war in 
        Iraq without attacking the integrity of any person, regardless 
        of his or her position on the war.
                                 <all>