[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 29 (Thursday, February 15, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S1985]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              IRAQ DEBATE

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I will use leader time.
  Mr. President, I have the deepest respect for the Senator from Maine. 
I care about her a lot. She is a good legislator and a very strong 
woman, strong person, someone who stands up for what she thinks is 
right. I admire her for that.
  However, those are interesting comments that I have just heard from 
my friend regarding an Iraq debate. While I respect the Senator from 
Maine and, as I have said I appreciate her sense of urgency, I say with 
all due respect, she is coming late to the party.
  Last week, when Senators had the opportunity to hold an important 
debate about Iraq, she and others chose to prevent that debate. Some of 
them, including my friend from Maine, voted against their own 
resolution by not invoking cloture. While it is heartening to know that 
they would like to have an Iraq debate now, where were they last week? 
Where were they when the Senate was trying to send a message to 
President Bush to stop the escalation? Where were they when we were 
trying to send a message in standing up for our troops in Iraq? The 
answer: Obstructing. Playing politics.
  Don't tell me about politics. They were putting the political needs 
of the White House ahead of our troops' need for a new direction in 
Iraq.
  If not for the actions that took place last week, we could have been 
finished with this debate regarding the escalation in Iraq. We could 
have already sent a strong message to President Bush that he stands 
alone in supporting escalation. We could have joined the House in 
expressing our support for the troops and our opposition to the so-
called surge. But because there was a political game being played with 
the war, the American people still do not know where their Senators 
stand on escalation.
  I take it from comments I have heard--not only from the Senator from 
Maine but from others on the other side of the aisle--that a number of 
Members had a change of heart; that, in the future, I would hope, many 
of them will be joining us in an important Iraq debate.
  Everyone within the sound of my voice should understand, we are in 
the Senate. Procedurally it is very difficult, many times, to get from 
here to there. I started as quickly as I could to process this matter. 
On Tuesday, I moved to rule XIV so we could have the House resolution 
before the Senate. I would hope we will have that opportunity soon.
  This week, the House of Representatives is debating a bipartisan 
resolution on escalation. Last night, as I have indicated, I started 
the process--again, moving one step further to bringing the legislation 
closer to the floor of the Senate, a resolution saying we support our 
troops and we oppose the escalation.
  When the Senate returns after the break, we will deal with the House 
resolution in some manner. The American people deserve, as I have said, 
to know where every Member of the Senate stands on the so-called surge. 
It is an important issue facing our country.
  I repeat what I said about the Senator from Maine. I care about her a 
lot. But I really am somewhat lost in the logic of her debate.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader is 
recognized.

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