[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 21]
[House]
[Page 28268]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             IRAQI FREEDOM

  (Mrs. DRAKE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. DRAKE. Mr. Speaker, today we are on the eve of Iraq's first 
election for a 4-year government based on their newly adopted 
constitution. We stand with the Iraqi people as they choose freedom and 
democracy over terrorism and oppression. In less than 3 years, they 
have gone from a brutal dictatorship to electing 275 representatives 
based on province and population, who will then select a prime 
minister, a presidency cabinet, and a cabinet of ministers.
  We congratulate the people of Iraq. We stand beside them, and we 
thank them for their courage, their bravery and their vision. However, 
we must acknowledge, as they do, that the path will not be easy, but 
they are truly a miracle in the journey they have undertaken. We are 
proud of their progress and hopeful for the future for Iraq, the Middle 
East and the defeat of terrorism around the world.

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