[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4799]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




RELATING TO THE LIBERATION OF THE IRAQI PEOPLE AND THE VALIANT SERVICE 
         OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES AND COALITION FORCES

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                               speech of

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 17, 2004

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I am saddened by the degree to which the 
Republican Leadership has turned this resolution into a partisan 
political defense of President Bush's view of the war in Iraq. Instead 
of commending and thanking the men and women in our Armed Forces who 
are serving so bravely in Iraq, a resolution that would have probably 
been passed unanimously, this resolution re-writes history and 
justifies a war that need not have been fought. Yes. Saddam was a 
terrible dictator, but getting rid of him was not the reason why 
President Bush told us we had to go to war. The American people were 
told that we had to invade Iraq because Saddam had weapons of mass 
destruction that could be used against us, something which turned out 
not to be true. It is particularly outrageous that, in order to spin 
the war in as positive light as possible, this resolution does not say 
one word about our gratitude to the over 560 families who have lost a 
loved one in Iraq--including six Vermont families--or the over 2,800 
soldiers who have been injured. What must these families be thinking 
when the sacrifice of their loved ones are not even acknowledged in 
this resolution? If Congressional Republicans really want to say thanks 
to the troops they should adequately fund veterans' benefits, increase 
military pay and provide the money to buy the body armor and other 
equipment our troops need. But using the sacrifice of our troops for 
partisan political advantage is something that I cannot support.

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