[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23630]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING OUR SOLDIERS IN IRAQ

  (Mr. MEEHAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. MEEHAN. Mr. Speaker, the Pentagon announced today that 2,000 
American servicemen and women have been killed in Iraq. On this same 
day, Iraqi officials announced that Iraq's constitution was approved 
with nearly 80 percent of the vote.
  This progress on the political front is in stark contrast with the 
failure to set clear benchmarks on the security front.
  As the casualties continue to mount and rise, the Bush administration 
continues to refuse to lay out a strategy for a timeline for bringing 
our troops home.
  On this day of mourning, my thoughts and prayers are with the 
families who have lost their loved ones and with all of our soldiers 
still serving in Iraq today.
  On this day of mixed messages, I renew our call to the administration 
to outline their plans for bringing our troops home. The best way to 
honor our soldiers is to find a safe and responsible exit for them from 
a sovereign and independent Iraq.

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