[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 18885]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    U.S. CONGRESS MUST LEAD ON PEACE

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak out of 
order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentlewoman from 
California is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, today, September 21, 2006, the world 
celebrates International Peace Day. Unfortunately, as we look around 
the world, we see more unrest and more people living in poverty, and 
certainly not more genuine peace.
  This administration has chosen the road of conflict and war, leaving 
diplomacy and discussion on the side of the road. The President's 
cowboy swagger and use of ``You're either with us or you're against 
us'' gets us absolutely nowhere.
  Mr. Speaker, today, International Peace Day, is the appropriate time 
for a new direction for our foreign policy and for our country. That is 
why on Tuesday of next week I will be hosting a third congressional 
forum on the occupation of Iraq. I am doing this because until the 
Congress begins real oversight into the tragedies of our occupation in 
Iraq, forums like these serve as one of the only ways, the only ways to 
examine our actions.
  I am organizing this forum on the cost of our actions in Iraq because 
President Bush's Iraq policy has been an absolute failure and our 
Nation will suffer. Our Nation will suffer its effects for years to 
come. Besides making us less safe, it has ruined our Nation's 
credibility in the eyes of the world, and it has made us worse off 
economically and militarily as well.
  On Tuesday we will hear from experts, including Lieutenant General 
William Odem and former CIA employee and Georgetown professor Dr. Paul 
Pillar. Additional testimony will come from experts from Save the 
Children, the National Priorities Project, and a representative from 
the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.
  This war, Mr. Speaker, has many unseen costs: the costs to our 
military and diplomatic standing in the region; the cost to the Iraqi 
civilians, especially the most innocent victims, the children; the cost 
to America's working families who see funds being diverted away from 
important domestic programs to fund the ongoing occupation; and the 
cost to our brave men and women in service to our country. Almost 2,700 
troops have given their lives for this misguided cause.
  And the costs to our veterans, which may be the most heartbreaking of 
all: the underfunding of veterans clinics, the lack of support for 
those dealing with posttraumatic stress, the families left behind with 
little benefits or support from the Department of Defense. Veterans 
have sacrificed for our country. They deserve to receive our Nation's 
support. We have a responsibility, Mr. Speaker, a responsibility to 
take care of those who sacrifice and defend us during times of war.
  Mr. Speaker, I voted against this war. Some of my colleagues voted 
for it. We disagreed then, but I think we can all agree now our troops 
need our support, and the best way to support the troops is to bring 
them home.
  Earlier this year I introduced H.R. 5875, a bill to repeal the 
President's Iraq war powers, because Congress needs to stand up. 
Congress needs to take back its constitutional responsibilities. And 
Congress needs to insist that the President, the Commander in Chief, 
stop this misguided occupation of Iraq.
  I urge my colleagues to join me at the forum on Tuesday from 2 to 4 
p.m., and I urge you to cosponsor the Iraq War Powers Repeal Act. I 
also urge you to stand up for our troops by standing up for peace.

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