[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 10251-10252]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                SALUTE TO COLLEAGUE AND THE WAR IN IRAQ

  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I assume the 
time of Mr. Pallone of New Jersey.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from New 
York is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker for recognizing me at the 
time shortly after my colleague Lynn Woolsey has spoken, because I rise 
to salute Lynn Woolsey as a great point of inspiration to her 
colleagues and for all Americans who are fighting to end the deadly, 
wasteful war in Iraq.
  I rise at this particular time because yesterday was Primary Day in 
California, and Congresswoman Woolsey had a challenge. I do not think 
that challenge was unrelated to her position on the war in Iraq. I 
think the challenge was a frontal attack on the majority of Americans 
who now disapprove of this administration's actions in Iraq. I think 
that the candidacy of the opposition was a not-very-subtle attempt to 
intimidate the leading spokesperson of the peace movement. I think it 
was a blatant effort to send a message.
  Congresswoman Woolsey is supported, fortunately, by the constituents 
in her district. Everybody knows that. Congresswoman Woolsey has been 
here for 14 years. She has a great record in areas ranging from child 
care to policies related to the war in Iraq.
  I want to congratulate her on a stunning, decisive victory. There was 
never any doubt of her winning, but she swept the field, I think with 
almost a two-to-one vote.
  The voters sent a message to all those who would challenge her and 
try to silence her that they care about what is happening in the world, 
they care about what is happening in Iraq. They are the majority, just 
as right now the majority of the people in America are against the war 
in Iraq. Her wide margin reaffirms support for her positions.
  No one has spoken more passionately and consistently against the war 
on this floor than Lynn Woolsey. I think she has a record of floor 
speeches, 5-minute speeches. About 149 5-minute speeches have been made 
against the war in Iraq.
  The bold move of the war supporters to go after her, to get 
newspapers to call her a radical and clamor for a more moderate voice, 
all of these things did not happen by accident. I think it was a plot. 
In her 14 years, Lynn Woolsey has earned the right not to be 
challenged. She has a unique point of view based on her unique set of 
experiences. I serve with her on the Education Committee. There is much 
to be discussed about Iraq and the war in Iraq, and not enough time is 
ever allowed to do it. I think she has chosen the only avenue possible.
  We have not discussed very important matters, like the oil contracts. 
What is happening with the plan to dispense the oil in Iraq after the 
U.S. leaves? Nobody ever talks about that. How much of the oil revenue 
will flow to American corporations for technical assistance and 
rebuilding versus to the Iraqi people?

                              {time}  2000

  Underlying the problem of getting the settlement, the question is 
never discussed. Power sharing is discussed. Getting the government set 
up is discussed.
  Senator Biden was ridiculed for saying you ought to take Iraq and 
split it up into three parts, one for Sunnis, one for the Shiites and 
one for the Kurds. I do not think that general proposal is all he 
meant, but power sharing is a major issue. Why can't we discuss power 
sharing. We have the Voting Rights Act here in America, one of the best 
examples of power sharing in the world.
  Other nations are looking at us and trying to find out how do you 
have a minority represented when the majority is a very different 
group. How can you get the minority to the table? There are ways to do 
that, and power-sharing ought to be discussed openly. Maybe they need a 
Voting Rights Act in Iraq. That could be put on the table as part of 
the solution to guarantee to the Sunnis and that Kurds that despite the 
Shiites being in the majority, they will always have a place at the 
table.

[[Page 10252]]

  As far as orderly withdrawal of the troops, I think Congressman 
Murtha, an expert if there ever was one, a man who knows the military 
very well, has proposed a very conservative but effective way to draw 
down the troops. Nobody knows better than Congressman Murtha what is 
happening in that war. He goes frequently to visit the wounded at 
Walter Reed Hospital and at the Naval Hospital. He knows the dilemma of 
the men on the ground, the troops there. He knows and that is why he 
spoke out so forcefully about the situation in Haditha. He knows that 
under pressure, people will break. The best Marines and the best Army 
people and the best Navy people will break under pressure in a war that 
they think is useless.
  We might have had the favor of the Iraqi people when we went in 
there, we might have had some flag waving and had some people that 
appreciated us, but we took away their electricity, we took away their 
water, and we took away their safety so there is a lot to be discussed 
and we should all value Lynn Woolsey for the fact that she comes 
frequently to discuss Iraq on this floor and does a great service for 
the Iraq people, as well as for the Members of this House.

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