[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H4317]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           OUT OF IRAQ CAUCUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to continue the debate on 
Iraq, the war in Iraq. I rise to continue this debate because those of 
us who are part of the Out of Iraq Caucus, and I am the Chair of that 
caucus, do not intend to have a debate organized for one day and have 
people going away saying, well, we took care of that.

                              {time}  2220

  This debate must continue because the truth must be told.
  Over the weekend, we received terrible news. Two of our soldiers, 
Private First Class Kristian Menchaca of Texas and Private First Class 
Thomas Tucker of Oregon were captured by insurgents, reportedly al 
Qaeda operatives in Iraq.
  Today their bodies were found. Their bodies showed signs of torture, 
leading an Iraqi Defense Ministry official to say that they were 
``killed in a barbaric way.'' I extend my deepest sympathies to the 
families and friends of Private Menchaca and Private Tucker. Our 
thoughts and our prayers are with them and all those who have lost 
loved ones in this war.
  Mr. Speaker, the President constantly tells us that ``as Iraqis stand 
up, we will stand down.'' This is the President's way of describing in 
a rather vague and evasive manner our involvement in Iraq, our 
continued involvement in Iraq.
  According to the Department of Defense, significant progress is being 
made in training Iraqis to assume security responsibilities in Iraq. 
The Defense Department trumpets the news that 250,000 Iraqi military 
are either fully trained or nearly fully trained to provide security 
throughout Iraq. Well, my question to the administration is: What are 
they doing? What are these trained Iraqi soldiers doing?
  If they are so trained as the administration says they are, they 
should be able to take over the responsibility of providing security to 
their fellow countrymen while allowing our men and women in uniform to 
return home.
  But the sad fact is Iraqis are not assuming this role. Instead, our 
troops who are put in harm's way are the ones paying the price for this 
administration's mistaken and misguided war. They have been assuming 
this role and will continue to do so indefinitely until this 
President's irresponsible leadership is challenged and changed.
  Furthermore, Mr. Speaker, the administration constantly tells the 
American people that progress is being made on the war. For example, 
when the formation of the Iraqi Government was announced, President 
Bush said the Iraqis had reached a ``turning point.'' At least five 
times since the beginning of the Iraq war, President Bush has declared 
that Iraq has reached a turning point. Yet after each milestone was 
achieved, violence in Iraq grew progressively worse, and more U.S. 
soldiers have died or been injured.
  The most infamous turning point was on May 1, 2003, when President 
Bush rolled out and declared ``Mission Accomplished'' aboard the USS 
Abraham Lincoln. At that point, 139 U.S. servicemen and -women had died 
in Iraq. Today that number has grown to 2,502 U.S. servicemen and -
women who have died in Iraq.
  Furthermore, the violence against Iraqis has grown almost beyond 
comprehension. It is estimated that between 138 and 242 Iraqis have 
died so far this month alone. They die from car bombings, 
assassinations and other violent acts.
  Today alone, news report indicate that at least 11 Iraqis were killed 
in a string of bombings across Iraq. In short, the progress that the 
administration and its supporters cite in Iraq does not exist.
  The administration went into war with rose-colored glasses on. They 
promised the American people that the war had been adequately 
justified, planned and could be an affordable undertaking.
  Unfortunately, the facts on the ground show differently. The war has 
gone on for more than 3 years, and by the end of this year, the total 
cost of the war will be $450 billion.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time for us to redeploy our troops from Iraq and 
end the war in Iraq. The best way to accomplish these goals is to pass 
the Murtha resolution, H.J. Res. 73, which would redeploy U.S. forces 
from Iraq. The resolution says no more U.S. troops sent to Iraq, and 
that the troops in Iraq will be redeployed as soon as possible, a 
judgment made by military officials on the ground.
  Section 2 says that a group of marines will remain in the Middle East 
to respond to threats that destabilize our allies in the region or the 
national security of the United States.
  I wish could go into it more, but I have run out of time.

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