[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 10, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H313-H314]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SECURITY FOR AMERICANS AT HOME AND ABROAD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House passed H.R. 1, a bill 
instituting the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. I am proud that the 
Speaker made this her first priority. It was an important first step. 
It was a step to strengthen America's security.
  Another step we can take to provide security to Americans at home and 
abroad is to bring our troops home from Iraq. It is what I have been 
saying for several years now. In fact, this is my 176th 5-minute 
special order on Iraq. And it is what the American people demanded on 
November 7.
  From the very beginning, our presence and continued occupation has 
brought strong opposition and violence to Iraq. The Vice President 
promised we would be greeted as liberators, that the troops would be 
hailed with cheers and flowers. Instead, the sad thing is our troops 
are being greeted with snipers, with rocket-propelled grenades and with 
roadside bombs.
  Tonight, the President will announce an escalation in the occupation. 
He wants to send over 20,000 more troops to Iraq. In fact, we have 
learned just today that those troops are already arriving in Baghdad. 
He wants to put over 20,000 more troops in harm's way. And for what?
  Tonight, the President will not announce an exit plan. Tonight, the 
President will not talk about benchmarks. Tonight, what the President 
will do is support more of the same. This is just ``stay the course.'' 
Let's call it what it is: an escalation.
  A majority of Americans support bringing the troops home. In fact, a 
recent poll showed that a majority of men and women in uniform support 
an end to this occupation. And yet the President wants more troops and 
refuses to put forth a plan to end our military presence there.
  Well, the American people and the Congress have waited long enough, 
Mr. Speaker, for the Commander in Chief to do his job. So, on Friday, 
the Progressive Caucus and the Out of Iraq Caucus will host a forum 
with former

[[Page H314]]

Senator George McGovern and Dr. William Polk on one such plan. This is 
a unique opportunity for Members to discuss available options. I 
encourage my colleagues to join us at this forum on Friday, day after 
tomorrow, at 9:30 in the Cannon caucus room.
  We know there is no quick solution to put Iraq and the region back 
together again. But until we start to seriously consider the plans out 
there, we are stuck with President Bush's escalation and status quo. 
And you know what? Because I respect the troops and I respect their 
families so very much, I refuse to ``stay the course.''
  So I tell the President: No, no to escalation. I tell the President: 
No, no to the status quo. And I say: Yes, yes to strengthening our 
Nation by protecting those who have already given so very much and 
bringing them home to their families.

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