[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7447]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING SUPPORT AND APPRECIATION FOR THE PRESIDENT AND MEMBERS OF 
       THE ARMED FORCES PARTICIPATING IN OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. TOM UDALL

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 20, 2003

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. Speaker, we are at war in Iraq. In the 
past, when our President has made the decision to commit to the use of 
force, the Congress has always come together to speak with one voice, 
for one purpose: to support the efforts of our troops, and to pray for 
their courage, their success, and their safe and quick return home.
  While I have stated my own opposition in the past to military 
intervention without our allies in the United Nations, and I have heard 
from thousands of constituents who shared those reservations about 
unilateral action, I today stand solidly behind our men and women in 
uniform.
  As the debate over whether or not to go to war with Iraq has been in 
the forefront in the minds of many Americans, there is one segment of 
our society that has been relatively overshadowed. Military families. 
For the past seven months, as we debated our policy in Iraq, I have 
heard from mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, aunts and uncles, 
cousins and friends, who have been concerned about a loved one being 
sent overseas to fight this war. They asked me, ``Congressman, when we 
go to war, will you and the others support our troops when they are 
over there?'' I pledged to do exactly that, and I honor that promise 
today as their loved one enters the dangerous phase of the war.
  More than anything, these young Americans need to know they have the 
backing of their fellow countrymen as they carry out their missions. As 
a member of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, I have heard from 
many that recall their service who have recalled there was no greater 
asset to company morale than the knowledge that their citizens in the 
United States stood behind them.
  New Mexico has many young people that are currently involved in the 
Iraqi effort. Our three Air Force Bases--Cannon, Holloman, and 
Kirtland--have deployed over 1,000 personnel to the Middle East. These 
are not faceless, nameless machines. These are people that have left 
loved ones behind. New Mexicans are proud of these men and women, along 
with other Americans from all fifty states that are participating in 
the endeavor.
  Our prayers are with them, and we look forward to their speedy 
success and return home. I have tremendous confidence in the men and 
women of our armed services to bring this conflict to a successful 
conclusion.
  Yet, this support for the effort is accompanied by a deep sense of 
anxiety and concern. Mr. Speaker, nobody wants war.
  The death, destruction and misery of war are things that we should 
never ignore and we cannot forget. When our troops are called to defend 
our nation and international peace, we do so with a heavy heart but 
strong confidence that we will prevail.
  While I remain unequivocal in my support of these men and women, I am 
deeply disappointed that the House Republican leadership has chosen to 
bring forward such a divisive resolution to the floor. Unlike our 
colleagues in the Senate, who passed a noncontroversial and bipartisan 
resolution in their chamber earlier this evening, the House Republican 
leadership has chosen to craft a resolution with some provisions that 
are troubling. It is clear that even during a war, the Speaker and his 
team will continue to play political games.
  It is obvious that Republican leaders are hoping that by including 
contentious language they can break apart the unity that I believe the 
House has for our troops. Despite some of my concerns over some of this 
maneuvering, my support of our New Mexico men and women and the ones 
they have left behind far outweighs that.
  My thoughts and prayers are with our armed forces personnel and their 
families. At this time of national crisis, our troops and their 
families must know that their nation is behind them, they are forever 
our heroes, and they have our full support.
  I also want to reassure our future veterans that I will continue to 
work throughout my tenure in Congress to maintain and expand the 
benefits that they and their families have earned. The beneflts these 
men and women earn are but a small gesture of repayment for sacrifices 
and courage that can never be quantified.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope this conflict is over as quickly as possible, 
with the least number of casualties on both sides. I yearn for nothing 
more than a peaceful and prosperous future for America, Iraq, and the 
entire world.

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