[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 52 (Monday, March 26, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E640]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 
                                  2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                       HON. WILLIAM J. JEFFERSON

                              of louisiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 23, 2007

  Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1591, the 
U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health and Iraq Accountability Act.
  In order to have an open and honest debate on the war in Iraq, we 
must differentiate between the situation that existed in Iraq when we 
first arrived there, and the situation that exists today. No longer do 
we find ourselves facing a united front, the clearly identifiable enemy 
of insurgents and Saddam loyalists. The current instability in Iraq has 
become a sectarian civil war, a war in which we have no business 
participating. We cannot use the parameters of a war that have since 
changed. We are not aiding the enemy in any way by setting responsible, 
logical benchmarks, nor are we `micromanaging' our war effort. The 
situation has changed, and so must the course we take.
  This bill gives us the framework needed to focus our efforts on those 
who actually mean us harm, and extricate us from a situation in which 
we are nothing more than a police force, caught in the middle of a 
sectarian conflict. By committing to a gradual plan of benchmarks and a 
firm date of withdrawal, we create an environment in which the Iraqi 
people themselves become responsible for their future. No longer will 
they be reliant upon our presence to establish their own nation. The 
United States will be an important ally of the new Iraq, not an 
enforcer of the status quo in their nation.
  I am also pleased that this bill includes several measures to aid our 
communities along the Gulf Coast. Waiving the local match requirements 
and forgiving Community Disaster Loans will help the city of New 
Orleans recover financially from the effects of Katrina. These 
financial troubles have since been compounded by the Administration's 
stubborn refusal to treat our disaster, the worst the Nation has ever 
seen, the same way that all others have been treated. For all previous 
localities receiving Community Disaster Loans, ranging from Hurricane 
Andrew to 9/11, 97 percent have been forgiven. This bill would take the 
long overdue step of forgiving the loans that were extended to 
communities along the Gulf Coast. Free of this burden that has been 
unfairly put upon them, our communities can continue their extensive 
rebuilding efforts.
  Our hurricane protection system, battered by Hurricanes Katrina and 
Rita, is still not in the condition it was in before the storm. With 
hurricane season beginning again just a few months from now, we cannot 
afford to leave the city unprotected for another year. The money 
included in this bill for the Corps of Engineers ensures the safety of 
all citizens in the New Orleans area. The Corps should not be forced to 
delay action on critical hurricane protection projects because they 
lack the necessary funding. We have already seen the devastation that 
can be wrought by a hurricane; it is crucial that the Corps have the 
resources it needs to protect our city.

  I also wish to highlight several other important programs within this 
bill whose importance cannot be overstated. We face a housing crisis in 
New Orleans, with public units drastically reduced in number, and no 
suitable plan for replacing such units in the short term. Eighty 
million dollars is provided in this bill for HUD tenant rental 
assistance so that our citizens can return home as soon as possible. 
Our elementary education system is in dire need of experienced teachers 
and administrators. Our colleges and universities were closed for 
months, and sustained significant physical damages. Sixty million 
dollars has been provided in this bill, and represents another step in 
the rejuvenation of our educational establishments. Additional funding 
for the Small Business Administration's disaster loan program has been 
provided, and is sorely needed for future disasters. The slow pace at 
which such loans were administered in the immediate months after 
Katrina was shameful, and by supporting this bill we have committed to 
ensure that it never happens again.
  I urge my colleagues to support this supplemental appropriations 
bill, which provides everything needed by our troops in Iraq, while 
setting a course for our necessary disengagement. The people of this 
great country eloquently expressed their disapproval regarding the 
course of this war in the November elections and, on their behalf, we 
should do no less than heed their wishes.

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