[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 17, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page H1203]]
                WE SHOULD NOT POLITICIZE FOREIGN POLICY

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise with a very heavy 
heart. And I speak from the heart. First, I think it is important for 
us to acknowledge that today in Baghdad another enormous tragedy 
occurred, the explosion that cost the life of almost 40 individuals, 
complete collapse of one of the hotels in the city of Baghdad, which 
shows us that the war is ongoing. And it reaffirms the fact that we are 
not yet safe.
  I rise as well, Mr. Speaker, to say that we stand divided on policy 
but never divided from our troops. So I stand to salute those who have 
served and those who are serving now.
  But I must stand today to also acknowledge why I voted no on the 
previous resolution, H. Res. 557. And I voted no, Mr. Speaker, because 
we should not politicize foreign policy or the lives of our young 
people. We should realize that the war on terrorism is both bipartisan 
and international. And when I met with a group of Iraqi citizens today 
who came and sat down and spoke with those of us who would listen, this 
is what they said. One, we will not be safe in Iraq until safety is 
number one; two, militia are roaming all over Iraq and kidnapping those 
of us who desire to be free; and three, rural Iraqis and Iraqis around 
the country, some 8 million, are not included in this constitution or 
the Iraqi Governing Council.
  If my friends on the other side of the aisle would spend more time in 
honoring our troops and working in a bipartisan way, we would be safe 
and we could fight terrorism. And so I say today, shame on us when we 
politicize the foreign policy that needs a united front to save lives 
of our young men and women and the people in Iraq.

                          ____________________