[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 1324]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1930
                         BRING THE 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, tomorrow, along with Congresswoman Barbara 
Lee and Congresswoman Maxine Waters, I will be introducing the Bring 
the Troops Home and Iraqi Sovereignty Restoration Act.
  This bill fulfills the voters' November 7 mandate to the Congress. It 
ends the occupation of Iraq and, at the same time, it strengthens the 
Iraqi government, and it also meets the needs of our returning troops.
  It will, one, bring our troops home; two, it will expedite the 
training of Iraqi security forces; and three, if invited by the Iraqis, 
work with the international community to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure, 
while four, fully funding the commitment we have made to our returning 
soldiers for full health care benefits, physical and mental.
  The situation in Iraq, Mr. Speaker, gets worse every day, and it is 
clear that we cannot provide security to Iraqis in the middle of a 
civil war. We need to bring our brave and capable men and women home to 
safety and to their families, and we need to help the Iraqi people 
regain their sovereignty.
  President Bush does not have a plan to bring our troops home. In 
fact, if anything, he is escalating this occupation with absolutely no 
end in sight. Our standing in the region and our standing around the 
world is at an all time low, and this administration has all but given 
up on diplomacy.
  We can no longer wait for the Commander-in-Chief to come up with a 
plan. We are in the fourth year of this occupation. We have waited long 
enough. That is why I will introduce the Bring the Troops Home and 
Iraqi Sovereignty Restoration Act tomorrow.
  Whether my colleagues voted to support the invasion of Iraq or not, 
they can now unite behind a comprehensive plan, a plan to bring peace 
and stability to the region.
  One of the most important elements of this bill is to live up to the 
promises made to those who have put their lives on the line for this 
President's fiasco in Iraq.
  Our most solemn obligation is to the men and women who have been 
placed in harm's way. To fulfill our obligation, we must bring them 
home to their families, while, at the same time, guaranteeing physical 
and mental health care for all U.S. veterans of military operations in 
Iraq and other conflicts around the world. It is the least we can do. 
It is the least we can do to show the gratitude of a grateful Nation.
  I urge my colleagues to stand up for our troops, stand up for Iraqi 
sovereignty. Cosponsor the Bring the Troops Home and Iraqi Sovereignty 
Restoration Act.

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