[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22875]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         IRAQ CONSTITUTION VOTE

  (Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, again, a significant milestone was reached 
this past weekend in the recovery of the sovereign nation of Iraq.
  On my most recent trip to that country this past August, it was clear 
that the constitution was the key that gets them through the door to 
the next part of their ability to govern themselves.
  There are things in this country that we take for granted, things 
like bank to check, things like transfer of title of real estate, 
things that are not possible in a country that does not have a 
constitution, things that are not possible in a country that does not 
know the rule of law.
  Mr. Speaker, in excess of 60 percent of the people of Iraq braved the 
terrorists, braved the threats of violence to go out and vote. We stand 
with the people of Iraq today, but mostly we stand with our troops who 
made this all possible, and I salute their efforts.

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