[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 15677]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




SOME HOUSE REPUBLICANS FINALLY WILLING TO ADMIT MISTAKES ON IRAQ. WHAT 
                           TOOK THEM SO LONG?

  (Ms. SOLIS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, after more than 3 years of fighting the war 
in Iraq, it now appears that some House Republicans are finally 
beginning to question the administration's competence in running the 
war and are finally beginning to question the rosy scenarios that 
continue to come from Vice President Cheney and Defense Secretary 
Rumsfeld.
  An article in last week's Washington Post, entitled ``GOP Lawmakers 
Edge Away from Optimism on Iraq,'' says that Republicans are having to 
reconsider their strategy on the war. With an average of over 100 
Iraqis dying every day last month, one of my Republican colleagues 
admitted that they have to change their message so they don't look like 
they can't face reality.
  And so now, after berating Democrats for the past 3 years and 
questioning the administration's failed policies in Iraq, some House 
Republicans are willing to admit that things are not going well in 
Iraq.
  Now the question is, Is this a convenient message that they plan to 
use for the next couple of months between now and mid-term elections, 
or will my Republican colleagues actually take their oversight 
responsibilities responsibly? Only time will tell.

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