[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 65 (Tuesday, May 11, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H2782-H2783]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     WHAT AMERICA HAS ACCOMPLISHED

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Dreier) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, we all demonstrated our righteous 
indignation over what took place in the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, and 
we are horrified by it. But I would like to take just a few minutes to 
share the transcript of the Fox News Sunday program hosted by Chris 
Wallace, in which he talked about the positive accomplishments.
  He said on Sunday, ``As many of you may know, we thought the ABC News 
program, `Nightline,' made a mistake last week, listing all the brave 
men and women who died in Iraq but without providing the context of 
what they died for. So we have said that we would put together our own 
tribute, our own list of what these brave men and women have built in 
Iraq.
  ``A couple of points before we begin. Some of you have written saying 
that we're pushing the White House agenda. As you saw in the last 
segment, there are plenty of hard questions to ask about the Bush 
administration's policy in Iraq, and we will keep asking them.
  ``There were also times this week when you couldn't help but wonder 
about putting on the good news from Iraq, as we saw those ugly pictures 
from the Abu Gharib prison. But the more we thought about it, what 
better

[[Page H2783]]

time to talk about what the vast majority of our troops are doing 
there? What better time to try to make sense of the sacrifice of the 
767 men and women who have died in Iraq?
  ``We call our tribute, `What We've Accomplished.' ''
  Chris Wallace went on to say, ``First, ending the brutal regime of 
Saddam Hussein. Ending the systematic torture and murder of hundreds of 
thousands of Iraqis. Since Saddam was overthrown, investigators have 
found dozens of mass graves in which more than 300,000 Iraqis were 
buried.
  ``Ending the theft of billions of dollars from the Iraqi people,'' 
Wallace goes on to say. ``Since 1991, Saddam built 48 palaces, at a 
time when his regime said it did not have the sources to build housing. 
And an investigation has found Saddam stole more than $11 billion from 
the U.N.'s Oil for Food program.
  ``Ending the threat that weapons of mass destruction will be 
developed and used. Since the invasion, U.S. inspectors have not found 
WMD, but during its time in power, Saddam's regime manufactured 
chemical and biological weapons and, at one point, actively pursued 
nuclear weapons.
  ``Second, quality of life. Daily life has improved dramatically for 
the average Iraqi since the fall of Saddam, but it has come at a cost. 
These three soldiers were killed last July while they guarded a 
hospital at Baquba.
  ``Under the old regime, little money was spent on education and there 
was no schedule for maintaining school facilities. So far, 2,500 
schools have been renovated, with another 800 to be finished soon.''
  Then the voice of an Iraqi female saying, ``They put in electricity 
for us and a fan for us so we could get some air, and I say thanks to 
God.''
  An Iraqi child says, ``Before, the school was dirty and not clean and 
even the bathroom was not good. This year, they made a new bathroom for 
us and they changed the building and painted it well.''
  Chris Wallace goes on to say, ``What children are learning in school 
has also changed. Before the war, the government fired teachers for not 
following the party line. Almost 9 million new math and science 
textbooks have been printed and distributed. Old books were filled with 
pro-Saddam propaganda.
  ``And here are U.S. troops handing out knapsacks full of school 
supplies in Samarra. This just days after those four American 
contractors were killed and their bodies mutilated in Fallujah.
  ``Major progress has also been made in health care. Under Saddam, the 
Ministry of Health spent $16 million a year. The current budget is 
almost $1 billion. The health care system is now open to all Iraqis, 
with 30 percent more people using the facilities. Doctors who used to 
get $20 a month now earn up to $180. Modern medication, such as cancer 
drugs, are now available, something unheard of during Saddam Hussein's 
years.
  ``Last Sunday, these five Navy Seabees were killed in the Sunni 
triangle while on assignment rebuilding schools and medical facilities 
for the Iraqis.
  ``Third, human rights. Since the end of Saddam Hussein, a fully 
functioning legal and judicial system has been developed. More than 600 
judges are working in courtrooms across the country. Iraqis charged 
with crimes now have rights that would have been laughed at under the 
old regime: the right to remain silent when they're arrested; the right 
to a fair, speedy and open trial; the right to a defense lawyer at all 
stages of the process.
  ``Iraqis now enjoy freedom of speech. Street protests against the 
United States occupation are now routine in Baghdad, something that in 
the past would have earned these demonstrators imprisonment or death.
  ``There is also something approaching freedom of the press. Under 
Saddam all newspapers were controlled by the government.''
  Here was a woman that was a reporter for 27 years. She said, 
``Before, we write as they tell us to write. Now we write what we 
believe.''
  Mr. Speaker, I include the rest of the transcript for the Record.
       WALLACE: Now, 120 papers are being published, some of them 
     critical of the U.S. The coalition has shut down only two 
     papers, which it said were inciting violence.
       This is another sign of new freedom: Internet cafes. 
     Before, few people had access to computers, fewer still to 
     the government-monitored Internet. Now people can 
     communicate, get information or sound off in Web blogs.
       And here's more technology that was banned under Saddam 
     Hussein: satellite dishes. Now more than one-third of Iraqi 
     households receive news from around the world by way of these 
     dishes.
       Finally, the economy and infrastructure. There's a new 
     currency in Iraq. Gone are those ever-present pictures of 
     Saddam in a country that used to have two weak currencies, 
     there is now one stable form of money.
       Iraq's most important resource, oil, is showing a strong 
     revival. Production now exceeds pre-war levels, averaging 
     half a million barrels a day more than when Saddam was forced 
     from power.
       Still, gasoline shortages have meant that U.S. soldiers 
     often have to guard filing stations to prevent looting. 
     Private First Class Jason Wright from the 101st Airborne 
     Division was killed by a drive-by shooter as he protected 
     Iraqis who were buying gas.
       One crucial area that has seen solid improvement is basic 
     utilities. After years of neglect, Iraqis have electricity 
     for only part of the day. By this summer, the average Iraqi 
     will have electricity for 16 hours a day, 40 percent above 
     pre-war levels. Under Saddam, only half of the country had 
     access to clean drinking water. Now extensive renovations of 
     water plants have brought cleaner water to more people, 
     almost 15 million, on a more reliable basis.
       Before the war, few areas had proper sewage facilities. One 
     example of what soldiers are doing on the ground is in Mosul, 
     where a neighborhood was swamped with raw sewage for 17 
     years. The U.S. Army spent $40,000 to hire local workers, and 
     the problem is fixed.
       Improvements in the infrastructure are widespread. Here are 
     some key examples. Baghdad airport now has 43 passenger 
     flights a day, including regular commercial service to 
     Jordan.
       And look at something as simple as phone service. Under 
     Saddam, cell phones were a luxury, reserved only for top 
     party and government officials. Now, more than 340,000 Iraqis 
     have cell phones, and business is booming.
       There's one other big difference: When Iraqis make a call 
     now, they say no one is listening in.
       IRAQI MALE: I call him now on the phone. Now we can discuss 
     anything. We are not--I am not afraid to say anything.
       WALLACE: As we struggled to put all of this together, we 
     were astonished by all that our troops have accomplished. And 
     we'll keep an eye out so we can update you on some of the 
     ways our troops are making life better for so many Iraqis.

  Mr. DREIER. Mr. Speaker, we have seen tremendous improvements. We can 
see that a great deal has been accomplished. As we have seen suffering 
that so many have gone through, we are enjoying tremendous success.

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