[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 133 (Wednesday, October 19, 2005)]
[House]
[Page H8925]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              A SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARDS DEMOCRACY IN IRAQ

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Madam Speaker, I want the previous speaker to know that 
I think I can get a Members tour for both of us to the White House if 
my friend wants to join me sometime. I will get back with the gentleman 
from Washington on that.
  I want to say in Iraq this weekend, it was a historic and very 
significant day: over 60 percent voter turnout to adopt a new 
constitution; less violence than ever before on the election compared 
to June; greater participation by everybody, including the Sunni 
minority.
  It is my hope that the constitution will pass and that in December we 
will have an election and the new government will take hold. And under 
that new government, their troops, of which we have trained 177,000, 
can start taking a bigger role in the war and then our troops can step 
back and draw down.
  Last weekend was very significant. It is too bad the press is 
begrudgingly only covering good stuff when it comes to Iraq, but do not 
let the day go by without realizing its significance. A great election, 
great participation, less violence, a significant step towards 
democracy.

                          ____________________