[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 150 (2004), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 8553]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        PRIORITIES OF THE HOUSE

  (Mr. EMANUEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, since April 1 this body has been in session 
11 days. In those 11 days of legislative activity, we have named eight 
post offices and other Federal buildings, authorized the use of the 
Capitol grounds for the Soap Box Derby, congratulated the University of 
Connecticut, the University of Denver and Kennesaw State for their 
sports achievements.
  Mr. Speaker, since April 1, 163 soldiers died in Iraq, bringing the 
total to 767.
  Yesterday, the administration announced that it will keep our current 
troop level through 2005, and that we will need another $25 billion on 
top of the $112 billion already spent.
  But while we name post offices and congratulate sports teams, our 
constituents are asking us the whys and the hows of Iraq. When the 
chairman of the Committee on Armed Services and the majority leader 
refuse to hold hearings, they are failing America.
  As President Kennedy once said, ``An error does not become a mistake 
until you refuse to correct it. Without debate, without criticism, no 
administration and no country can succeed, and no republic can 
survive.''
  Mr. Speaker, to govern is to choose. We can name post offices, or we 
can ask the hard questions about the direction of our country, and we 
might even be able to do both in this House.

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