[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 12 (Wednesday, January 21, 2009)]
[House]
[Page H424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     AMERICA ``CAN LEAD ONCE MORE''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to give my 288th Special Order on 
the subject of the occupation of Iraq. The first 287 cited the terrible 
death and destruction that the occupation was causing and the damage 
that it was doing to America's moral standing in the world. But this 
Special Order, number 288, is different from all the rest. That's 
because we woke up this morning with new leadership in the White House, 
President Obama.
  President Obama is meeting with his military advisors today. He is 
planning for the withdrawal of our troops from Iraq, something that the 
American people have been demanding for many years. And today, the 
Senate is meeting to confirm the nomination of Secretary of State 
Hillary Clinton, who firmly believes that America should emphasize 
peace and diplomacy over war.
  President Obama has pledged to withdraw our troops within 16 months. 
He must not hesitate for a moment to make good on that pledge. He must 
make sure that the withdrawal is complete, that it is safe, and it is 
meaningful. There must be no residual forces, no military contractors 
left behind. And if his advisors urge him to change his mind about 
withdrawal, he must not waiver or go wobbly. I don't think President 
Obama will. Just listen to yesterday's inaugural address.
  President Obama said that it is time to ``leave Iraq to its people.'' 
I've said for years that Iraq must have its national sovereignty and 
must have it back soon, so those words were very welcome to this Member 
of Congress.
  He said, ``To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward based on 
mutual interest and respect.'' After showing the Muslim world nothing 
but shock and awe for nearly 6 years in Iraq, those were very healing 
words.
  He said that ``earlier generations faced down fascism and communism 
with sturdy alliances,'' and he called for ``greater cooperation and 
understanding between neighbors,'' a clear repudiation of the previous 
administration's disastrous decision to go it alone in Iraq and 
elsewhere in the world.
  He also said that America must choose ``hope over fear,'' and that we 
must reject the false choice ``between our safety and our ideals.'' 
This was another clear repudiation of the previous administration, 
which used fear to get us into Iraq in the first place and then used it 
to tear the Constitution to shreds.
  President Obama also said that ``power alone cannot protect us, nor 
does it entitle us to do as we please.'' He said our security comes 
from ``the justness of our cause'' and the qualities of ``humility and 
restraint.'' President Obama understands that the true source of 
America's power is our moral authority.
  The President also said that ``we'll work tirelessly to lessen the 
nuclear threat.'' And he promised to work with the poor people of the 
world ``to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds.'' These are 
good words. They echo some of the most important parts of my national 
security plan known as SMART. SMART calls for ending nuclear 
proliferation, and it calls for giving poor people a better life 
because it's the best way to stop terrorists from recruiting absolute 
new followers. It's just the right thing to do.
  In the most dramatic moment of his speech yesterday, President Obama 
promised that America will ``lead once more.'' That pledge has already 
inspired millions of people around the world. But now the challenge is 
to put the President's words into practice. It won't be easy. We know 
that there will be powerful forces that will try to push him in the 
wrong direction. That's why he will need the support of the American 
people, he will need the support of the Congress to put our country 
back on the right track.
  He must get that support, the support in the House, and I hope that 
it comes from both sides of the aisle. By working together, we can 
build a more peaceful, more congruent world, and we can show that 
America can lead once more.

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