[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17193]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         BRING OUR TROOPS HOME

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, Sergeant Christian Williams of Winter 
Haven, Florida; Staff Sergeant Tracy Melvin of Seattle, Washington; 
Lance Corporal Jeremy Long of Sun Valley, Nevada, only 18 years old; 
Private First Class Colin Wolfe, also an 18 year old, of Manassas, 
Virginia; and Staff Sergeant Michael Deason of Farmington, Missouri.
  Mr. Speaker, these are just five of the Americans who have been 
killed in action in Iraq since this Chamber last convened. You see, 
Congress gets to close up shop for a month, the entire month of August, 
even if we haven't completed the Nation's business. But no such luxury 
for the 138,000 men and women who are stationed in Iraq. Their 
dangerous work goes on and on. No adjournment, no recess, no end to 
their mission in sight.
  In fact, many who were scheduled to come home were told in August, 
no, they had to stay in Iraq. And why? Because their commander-in-chief 
says that people who want our troops to come home don't understand the 
world in which we live.
  I submit, Mr. Speaker, that it is the President himself whose 
understanding of our world could use some real work.
  Does he understand that his clumsy belligerence has contributed to 
more intense feelings of jihad and anti-American radicalism in the 
Muslim world?
  Does he understand that the invasion and occupation of Iraq has 
created many more terrorists than it could possibly defeat?
  Does he understand that his policy lit the match that engulfed Iraq 
in sectarian violence and civil war?
  Does he understand that at least 40,000 and perhaps as many as 
100,000 innocent Iraqi civilians have died for what he calls their 
liberation?
  Does he understand that military force is one of the least effective 
ways of exercising American power?
  Does he understand the concept of ``soft power,'' the idea that 
America can and must lead by example, by demonstrating compassion, by 
promoting our values, by maintaining global goodwill and credibility?
  Does he understand that outside his window today at the National 
Mall, veterans and their families are launching Camp Democracy, a 16-
day anti-war demonstration just like the one they held outside the 
President's Crawford ranch last August?
  He must not understand that he has lost the confidence of the people 
of the United States of America; that in overwhelming numbers they 
believe he made a mistake in Iraq and want him to reverse course as 
soon as possible.
  It is clear that he understands none of these things, and, as a 
result, our Nation is paying the price, all of us; all of us who want 
to live in a country that is admired around the world; all of us who 
want to be safe from terrorism; all of us who depend on public 
investment in education and health care, housing and more, investments 
that won't be possible because of the $1 trillion cost of the Iraq 
occupation.
  But, of course, no one has sacrificed more than young Americans like 
Christian Williams, Tracy Melvin, Jeremy Long, Colin Wolfe and Michael 
Deason, who lost their lives. There is nothing more we can do for them 
other than honor their memories and take care of their families. But we 
can save hundreds and perhaps thousands of their fellow soldiers from a 
similar fate if this ruinous policy continues.
  Mr. President, bring our troops home.

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