[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 14 (Wednesday, January 24, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E186-E187]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NEW DIRECTION FOR IRAQ ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, January 24, 2007

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing, along with 
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin and Congressman Sam Farr, the New Direction 
for Iraq Act, the first legislation introduced in Congress to deal 
comprehensively with the military, diplomatic, political, economic and 
humanitarian strategies needed to move forward in Iraq.
  On November 7th, the American people sent a strong and clear message 
that it's time to change the course in Iraq. Unfortunately, President 
Bush is proposing more of the same. Instead of listening to the 
majority of Americans, Iraqis, and military experts, the President's 
stubborn adherence to a clearly failed strategy is undermining our 
security and putting more of our troops and Iraqis at risk. Our troops 
have performed valiantly, but

[[Page E187]]

progress in Iraq now depends on a political solution.
  It's time for a new direction in Iraq and a comprehensive shift in 
our Iraq policy. My legislation will: Bring our troops home within 
approximately one year; Refocus our assistance on creating jobs for 
Iraqis, supporting grassroots multi-ethnic civil society, and disarming 
militias; Authorize more aggressive efforts to punish war profiteering 
and reconstruction fraud; Require a new comprehensive diplomatic 
effort--internal, regional, and international--to provide support in 
stabilizing Iraq and promoting ethnic reconciliation; Strengthen 
efforts to address the Iraqi refugee crisis.
  This is now about making the best of a bad situation; our military is 
breaking and our presence in Iraq is doing nothing to ease sectarian 
tensions or promote a democratic future. We must leave Iraq and we are 
going to do so before it's fixed. It will be painful for everybody: the 
innocent Iraqi victims who will get caught up in the maelstrom, as well 
as Americans who will be less safe for years, if not generations, to 
come.
  The final costs of this war are not yet fixed, but we have a chance 
to influence just how high and how horrible through our actions. At 
this point, we can only try to make this terrible situation no worse 
and hope that, at some point, it might become marginally better for 
both Americans and Iraqis. I urge my colleagues to support this bill 
and look forward to working with them to advance a comprehensive plan 
to change the course in Iraq.

                          ____________________