[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 17, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1210]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        ON HOUSE RESOLUTION 557

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply concerned about my 
colleagues on the other side in bringing to the floor House Resolution 
557, which was just passed out with a ``no'' vote for me. This 
resolution is another attempt to divide this House on the Iraqi war 
while our young men and women continue to die, while parents, spouses 
and children suffer in their grief, and while we mourn their losses as 
a Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, the Republicans did not involve a single Democrat in 
writing this resolution and, further, proposed a rule that allowed not 
a single amendment to be offered. We are here in this great House as a 
collective body to represent the people of America, and as the 
President constantly states, we are a Nation at war. Yet this House has 
chosen to ignore the Democrats and the people we represent in not 
involving us and including our position on this resolution. This is 
shameful, undemocratic, and an affront to our sons and daughters 
serving in this war.
  Mr. Speaker, I share the view that the people of Iraq and the world 
are better off with Hussein in custody and his regime destroyed. 
Everyone agrees with that. However, the President told everyone in the 
Nation that combat was over on May 1, 2003. Yet every day young men and 
women continue to die in Iraq. Just today, a car bomb rocked Baghdad 
and killed more than 20 people. Over 500 Americans have died and over 
3,000 have been injured, some seriously, during this war.
  Our mission in Iraq has not been accomplished, the administration had 
no clear plan, our soldiers did not have the basic equipment that they 
needed, and returning veterans are being shortchanged on the benefits 
that they rightfully deserve. This resolution did not speak to any of 
these issues.
  Resolution 557 states that Americans and the world are safer now that 
Saddam has been captured. Mr. Speaker, the facts simply do not support 
this. The world has become a much more dangerous place. Just this past 
weekend, over 200 people died in Spain as a result of a terrorist 
attack. The invasion of Iraq has become a breeding ground for 
terrorists, and we live here in America under a cloud of constant fear. 
We are not safer. We are also raising a generation of children living 
in fear instead of relishing the joy of the innocence of childhood.
  I have heard my colleagues in the House state that Libyan leader 
Mommar Qaddafi decided to disarm because of the invasion of Iraq and 
the capture of Saddam Hussein. This is another attempt to twist the 
facts. It is well known that Mommar Qaddafi began negotiations with the 
United States and Europe to disarm long before the Iraqi war and the 
capture of Saddam Hussein. Even Secretary Colin Powell recently 
acknowledged that. This claim is akin to the claim that Saddam had 
weapons of mass destruction.
  This resolution clearly shows the Republicans are in denial as to why 
we went to Iraq and denial as to the constant state of security and 
stability in the world and are delusional as to how this war is 
affecting other countries. This resolution also failed to mention how 
isolated we are in the international community. The people of Spain 
just showed the world what they thought of this war when they voted out 
the power of their government that supported President Bush on the war.
  I stand behind our courageous men and women in uniform who are 
bearing the burden of this military action in Iraq. I am deeply 
grateful to their patriotism, their courage, and their sacrifice. I 
regret that they were placed in the position of fighting a war for 
weapons of mass destruction that did not exist, but I honor their 
service.
  I have recently introduced legislation that would provide $50 million 
in funding to enable military families to get personal counseling upon 
return from this war and return from the service they have provided so 
admirably. I will continue to support our military men and women as 
they serve our country in this dangerous mission.
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, our men and women in uniform deserve more than 
one line in this resolution that was passed on the floor. Surely our 
men and women in uniform, who have made the ultimate sacrifice, given 
their lives, deserve to be recognized and honored far greater than 
this. This was not outlined in the resolution just passed.




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