[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 7611]
[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. HILDA L. SOLIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 20, 2003

  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the courageous 
men and women serving in our Armed Forces.
  As we speak tonight, over 200,000 American soldiers are facing the 
reality of war straight in the eye. Thousands more here at home and 
around the world are also protecting us from harm and defending our 
freedoms. We honor all of them today for their dedicated service to our 
country.
  Two weeks ago, I was proud to join my colleagues in voting for a 
resolution to commend our troops. The resolution was passed 
unanimously.
  With the outbreak of war upon us, we should send another clear 
message to the troops that we stand united behind them. I am very 
disappointed, however, that my colleagues on the other side of the 
aisle have chosen to use this resolution not simply as an opportunity 
to express our gratitude to the troops, but also as a political tactic 
to bolster the President's war agenda. This resolution contains 
political praise for policies that have brought us to war. This 
language was unnecessary in a resolution designed to commend our 
troops.
  Last fall, I joined over 120 of my colleagues in voting against 
authorizing the President to use military force against Iraq. The 
concerns that led me to oppose that authorization remain.
  I continue to be troubled by the policies that have led to this war, 
particularly the doctrine of preemption and the lack of broad 
international support. We need to repair our diplomatic relations with 
our allies and countries with which we have had good relations.
  We will need a strong coalition of allies to rebuild Iraq. These 
partnerships are also valuable to our global war on terrorism.
  In my home state of California, over 8,000 National Guard members and 
10,000 reservists have been called to duty. These individuals have left 
their jobs, postponed their education, and said goodbyes to their loved 
ones to serve their country in a time of war. They've put their lives 
on hold to go to serve their country during a time of war.
  Recently, I visited some of these reservists who were being deployed 
from my district. They were men and women from diverse backgrounds and 
cultures. Men and women who never imagined that they would find 
themselves being deployed to fight war. I could see the fear of war in 
their eyes. I also saw determination, the strength of a soldier ready 
for battle.
  Tonight, I think of these men and women and the thousands of others 
that have left their homes and families to serve their country. They're 
our husbands and wives, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, 
nieces and nephews, and granddaughters and grandsons.
  We must let our loved ones know that we support them, especially at 
this critical stage in this military conflict. That is why I will 
support this resolution despite my strong disagreement with some 
aspects of it. I want the troops to know that I stand behind them and 
commend them for their commitment to defending freedoms here and 
abroad.
  I hope and pray that this military conflict will be brief and with 
the least possible loss of human lives. I extend my special prayers to 
men and women in uniform and their families during this difficult time, 
and I look forward to welcoming them home soon.

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