[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 148 (Tuesday, October 2, 2007)]
[House]
[Page H11076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
{time} 1015
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS PASSES BILL THAT FORCES BUSH ADMINISTRATION TO PLAN
FOR REDEPLOYMENT
(Mr. KLEIN of Florida asked and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. KLEIN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, when President Bush announced that
he was keeping the troop escalation plan in effect until next summer,
it was clear that he had no plan for ending the war in Iraq. In fact,
the administration admits that they see our troops remaining in Iraq
for at least 10 more years.
President Bush continues with the status quo in Iraq even though the
Iraqi Government is not fulfilling its promise to meet the political
benchmarks that were outlined by President Bush himself earlier this
year.
House Democrats are not going to tolerate another decade of our
troops serving as referees in a civil war. And while this Congress
cannot force the President to change course in Iraq until some of our
Republican colleagues break ranks with the administration, I think that
they even see the value in forcing this administration to finally come
up with an exit strategy that is strategic in purpose.
Today the House will vote on legislation that would require the
President and his administration to develop and submit a comprehensive
redeployment strategy within the next 60 days. This war cannot go on
indefinitely, and this administration needs to begin preparing for the
day that we can finally bring our troops home.
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