[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11264-11265]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THE IRAQ WAR ``TALK-A-THON''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, America deserves a real choice about our 
future in Iraq. But, instead, tomorrow it is presented with a false 
choice. Indeed, not so much a debate about our future in Iraq as a 10-
hour or so talk-a-thon. The talk-a-thon is about a resolution that, 
much like the Iraq policy we have seen over the last few years, is 
presented to this House without the ability of any Member of the House 
to change a single word. You cannot dot an ``i.'' You cannot cross a 
``t.'' You cannot offer an amendment. You cannot offer a substitute or 
alternative policy. Once again, in a very constrained and perverse way, 
the question of Iraq is presented for Members to talk, but not to act.
  Indeed, the resolution itself tells the whole story. It is entitled a 
resolution which is ``declaring that the United States will prevail in 
the `Global War on Terror.''' Wouldn't it be wonderful if by simply 
passing a declaration we could declare the ``Global War on Terror'' 
won?
  But tragically it is paper like this that was offered by those who 
failed to fulfill their decision-making and oversight responsibilities 
in this Congress that exposed young men and women from this country to 
the greatest danger. Instead of Kevlar vests, instead of reinforced 
vehicles, they got paper resolutions. And paper resolutions could not 
block the IEDs, and it could not block the bullets that came the way of 
our brave young men and women in uniform. No. Indeed, other than paper 
proclamations, the original claim was the main thing our troops would 
need in Iraq, as they were being sent off to war, was a broom to sweep 
away all the rose petals that would be thrown at them in gratitude for 
them invading Iraq. Well, of course, it did not turn out that way.
  This false choice that we are being presented with tomorrow without 
any opportunity to dot an ``i'' or cross a ``t'' deserves some 
consideration. It has a ``Whereas'' clause that ``by early 2003, Saddam 
Hussein . . . had supported terrorists, constituted a threat against

[[Page 11265]]

global peace.''. The reason that language is there is to perpetuate the 
lie, and it is a lie, that Saddam Hussein was somehow linked to the 
tragedy of 9/11.
  Now, we know that Saddam Hussein was a villain, a thug, a dictator, 
and a tyrant. But there has been absolutely no evidence presented to 
this Congress to support the continued innuendo and suggestion by this 
administration, time and time again, that he somehow was responsible 
for 9/11.
  Then there is a clause in the resolution that ``the terrorists have 
declared Iraq to be the central front in the war against all who oppose 
their ideology.'' Well, the truth is it became a central front only 
after President George Bush started a war there. He provided the 
terrorists with the opportunity; he took our young men and women to 
them, placed them in grave danger, provided an inadequate number of 
troops so that all these Iraqi ammunition and weapons dumps were open 
and available to any terrorist who wanted to come in and take their 
weapons to use against our American forces.
  The resolution refers to our ``coalition,'' and, of course, our 
``coalition'' is the United States, the United Kingdom, and a great 
deal of public relations. Because most of the other countries in the 
so-called ``coalition'' have contributed extremely meager resources. 
They have been there for public relations purposes to try to cover the 
fact that this was a go-it-alone invasion of Iraq.
  And now the ``impressive victories'' of which this resolution speaks 
do not take into account that the number of deaths of young Americans 
is approaching 3,000; 3,000 human beings, 3,000 young people cut down 
in their lives, removed from their families. We approach another 20,000 
who suffered grievous injury, who may never be quite the same because 
of the injuries that they suffered in courageous service to our 
country.
  And that takes us to why this resolution is being presented in this 
form. Because from the outset this administration and the leadership in 
this Congress have never missed a chance to hitch a ride for their 
failed policies on the coattails of the courageous men and women who 
have been standing up for our country overseas.

                              {time}  1845

  They know their failed policies can't stand on their own merit, and 
so they buried them within a resolution honoring the sacrifice of our 
United States troops. I honor them, but say that our policy must change 
and must change now.

                          ____________________