[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 67 (Wednesday, April 25, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H4159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IRAQ WAR SUPPLEMENTAL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking Speaker 
Pelosi and Chairman Obey for bringing the conference report for the 
Iraq supplemental to the floor. You have shown tremendous leadership in 
the face of great opposition and criticism.
  To my colleagues who joined me in passing this legislation, we have 
demonstrated to our constituents that we are listening to their 
mandate.
  Five weeks ago, we commemorated the fourth year of the U.S. invasion 
of Iraq. Today, we move with urgency to end 4 years of bloodshed that 
has resulted in the death of 3,300 men and women in uniform deployed in 
Iraq, 59 of those being sons and daughters of the great State of 
Maryland.
  While I opposed the war from the very beginning, I believe we have a 
duty to redeploy in a responsible manner that protects the Iraqi people 
and our troops.
  Additionally, we have a responsibility to our courageous men and 
women in uniform, their families, and the American people by putting an 
end to their incredible sacrifices.
  Despite the rhetoric, the President's plan is simply not working. 
According to a Washington Post report dated April 4, 2007, the number 
of Iraqi policemen killed across Iraq nearly doubled from 171 in 
February to 331 in March.
  Meanwhile, the numbers of unidentified bodies found across Baghdad 
are rising again, suggesting an increase in sectarian-motivated death 
squad killings. Surely, this is not a sign of us winning the war in 
Iraq; but instead, it is a sign of how the conflict is swiftly tumbling 
into a civil war that is on the edge of becoming a battle beyond our 
control.
  As Members of Congress, it is our duty to bring President Bush back 
to reality. Progress in Iraq will not be measured in military terms. 
The primary solution to many of the crises in Iraq are simply 
political, in that obtaining bilateral assistance from Iraq's 
neighbors, the international community and the Iraqis themselves, is a 
vital step to resolving many of the present conflicts.
  Unfortunately, the President views the situation quite differently. 
Rather than attempting to reach compromise, he has threatened to use 
his veto power. In doing so, he will be rejecting the benchmarks for 
Iraq that he himself has repeatedly stated must be reached to resolve 
this crisis. The President will also be vetoing so much more.
  The supplemental provides troops with three things they need to be 
successful: Training, equipment and rest.
  Further, as a member of the House Armed Services Committee, I am 
particularly proud that $3 billion is provided for the purchase of mine 
resistant, ambush protected vehicles.
  The President should take note that he will be vetoing accountability 
requirements in the area of homeland security. To that end, the 
supplemental makes important changes to the Coast Guard's $24 billion, 
25-year Deepwater contract to prevent the development of assets that 
simply do not work.
  Further, the supplemental will require the Coast Guard to identify 
both the staffing structure it needs to manage Deepwater, and the 
training that acquisitions oversight staff will require to be 
effective.
  Having chaired two oversight hearings involving Deepwater, and having 
worked with Chairman Oberstar, chairman of the full committee, to 
conduct an investigative hearing into Deepwater, I know that the 
significant problems that have been experienced with this contract have 
arisen at least in part due to the decision of the Coast Guard to move 
forward with the program before they had the staff, expertise, and 
management systems in place to ensure effective oversight.
  Finally, I strongly support these provisions and look forward to 
building on them in the Coast Guard reauthorization which we are 
drafting. If this supplemental is not signed and if we fail to override 
the veto, we will start from scratch, forcing us back to the drawing 
board. However, I will not give up or give in. It is time to bring our 
troops home

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