[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 100 (Wednesday, June 20, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H6742]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                A CHANGE IN DIRECTION IS NEEDED IN IRAQ

  (Mr. ELLISON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ELLISON. Mr. Speaker, this weekend, General David Petraeus 
acknowledged that we will not see any significant improvements in the 
situation on the ground in Iraq by September.
  When President Bush first proposed the troop escalation plan at the 
beginning of this year, he said we should know if it's actually working 
by the beginning of the summer. A couple of months later, when the 
troops were actually on the ground, the President revised that time 
frame, saying that we should have a good grasp if the plan is working 
by September.
  Now we have confirmation from the President's top general on the 
ground that positive signs in Iraq will continue to be elusive.
  The question now is, will the administration do as it has in the past 
and change the deadline?
  Moving deadlines are simply no longer acceptable. President Bush has 
been promising for months that we would see significant changes come 
September, and since that is no longer possible, a significant change 
in direction is needed in Iraq.
  It is time for the President and the congressional Republicans to 
realize that Petraeus is now admitting that no improvements will be 
seen by September.

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