[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 46 (Tuesday, March 17, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H3474-H3475]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE PLIGHT OF THE IRAQI REFUGEES CONTINUES

  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, the President has announced a plan to 
redeploy troops from Iraq, and if you're watching the nightly news or 
pick up a paper, you might think that the occupation was actually over. 
But when was the last time you saw a major TV news story from Iraq or 
some ink at least above the fold about Iraq?
  Sadly, the United States' occupation of Iraq is far from over. The 
need still remains for a stable nation and a stable Iraqi Government 
that is able to provide basic services and a sense of normalcy and 
support of the rule of law for everyone in Iraq.
  Almost 6 years ago today, the United States military was mobilized in 
a preemptive attack on Iraq. By now we all know there were no weapons 
of mass destruction. However, destruction was left in the wake of the 
invasion. Both the Iraqi and American Governments

[[Page H3475]]

must focus on these immediate pressing human needs rather than 
continuing military presence. A prolonged occupation is not the answer. 
Prosperity and stability will not come at the end of a gun. We must 
support reconstruction. We must support reconciliation efforts. And we 
must find the best way out of Iraq so that we can begin all of this. 
And the best way is by bringing our troops and military contractors 
home from Iraq so then we can give Iraq back to the Iraqis and work 
with them to rebuild reconciliation and to return to their homes.
  Families face unimaginable hardships, from widespread violence and 
suicide attacks to the destruction of their schools, their hospitals, 
and utility providers. Some of the devastation can be and is actually 
visible, and it's rubble that still litters the streets and walled-off 
sections of neighborhoods.
  The more difficult picture to capture is that of the refugees. 
Millions have fled their homes never to return. Nationwide there are 
between 1.6 million and 2.8 million internally displaced people, 
refugees who left their homes but not Iraq. According to the 
International Organization of Migration, only 288,000 have returned 
home. Refugees International calls this one of the largest humanitarian 
and displacement crises in the world. They say ``most are unable to 
access their food rations and are often unemployed; they live in 
squalid conditions, have run out of resources, and find it extremely 
difficult to access essential services.''
  Mr. Speaker, the Iraqi Government has established a program to 
reimburse Iraqi families who have lost their homes. Most families get 
about half of their home's value, and that's when someone can safely 
come into the area to assess the damage. This process is slow going and 
will never make these families whole.
  But to what are Iraqi families returning? Refugees International 
found that some Iraqis who have tried to return home have found their 
homes occupied or destroyed, the likelihood of violence still high, a 
collapse of social services, and neighborhoods divided into sectarian 
areas.
  Sadly, the U.S. occupation has caused this to happen. But the good 
news is we have a chance to bring our troops home, give Iraq back to 
the Iraqi people, and let them have their sovereignty and let them get 
home to their properties. We need to help them do that. What we don't 
need to be doing is spending more money on the military occupation in 
Iraq.

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