[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 1]
[House]
[Pages 800-801]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                PRESIDENT BUSH MUST END HIS WAR IN IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. McGovern) is recognized for 5 
minutes.

[[Page 801]]


  Mr. McGOVERN. Mr. Speaker, tonight we will once again listen to 
President Bush as he describes yet another strategy for the war in 
Iraq. By all accounts from the media, the President will tell the 
Nation that he intends to send more U.S. troops to fight and die in 
Iraq.
  This is not ``stay the course,'' Mr. Speaker, this is escalation.
  And at a bare minimum, Congress must find the wisdom and the courage 
to require and vote upon specific new authorization to escalate the 
number of troops in Iraq.
  This is what Senator Kennedy called for yesterday. He has introduced 
legislation that prohibits any Federal funds from being used to 
increase the number of U.S. forces in Iraq without a specific 
authorization of Congress by law for such an increase.
  It is the very minimum we can do, Mr. Speaker, for Congress to 
finally take some responsibility for this war and exercise some 
accountability.
  What do you do, Mr. Speaker, when a President fails to listen to the 
military advice of his generals? When he consistently changes generals 
when their experience and best counsel does not match his own 
preconceived ideas?
  What do you do, Mr. Speaker, when a President ignores the 
recommendations of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group?
  What do you do when a President, whose idea of a exit strategy is to 
kick the ball down field, is determined to dump this mess on whoever 
will be the next President of the United States?
  Mr. Speaker, this President lost the mid-term elections. He lost 
because the American people voted against the war, and they want a new 
direction. This is George Bush's war, and he should end it on his 
watch. If he is not going to listen to his own generals, the counsel of 
the Iraq Study Group or the American people, then Congress must 
confront him and begin to deny him the means and the ability to carry 
out the next disastrous step of his policy.

                              {time}  1730

  It is my view that too many in Washington are consumed with saving 
face, rather than saving lives. Political expediency, political cover 
and political posturing must not be the guiding principles on how we 
proceed in Iraq. Instead, we must be focused on the men and women we 
put in harm's way.
  And everyone in this Chamber should be haunted by the fact that 
Congress has acquiesced too many times in one of the worst foreign 
policy blunders in United States history. Over 3,000 American military 
personnel have been killed in this war. Are we going to stand here next 
January and talk about the 4,000 or 5,000 who will have died? Well over 
22,000 American troops have been wounded, some injured for life, and 
over tens of thousands of Iraqi men, women and children are dead.
  It is long past time for this Congress to accept responsibility for 
having given this President a blank check and a free pass for nearly 4 
years.
  It is simply false to argue that placing any restrictions on funding 
for this disastrous war somehow shortchanges our troops. Redeployment 
from Iraq does not shortchange our troops. Bringing them home to their 
families does not shortchange our troops.
  I will tell you what shortchanges our troops. Making them serve two, 
three or possibly even four tours of duty in Iraq, that shortchanges 
our troops. Failing to provide the veterans of this war with health 
care, that shortchanges our troops. Increasing by more than five times 
the backlog on veterans' disability claims so that those injured in 
Iraq and those suffering from PTSD don't get the help they need when 
they return home, that shortchanges our troops, Mr. Speaker.
  Mr. Speaker, there is no military victory to be had in Iraq. It is 
time George Bush ended his war and brought our uniformed men and women 
home. To do that, we must change the dynamic in Iraq. We must end our 
occupation, let the Iraqi people determine their own destiny and engage 
the countries of the region and the international community while we 
withdraw.
  We can start by voting not to escalate this war, even if that means 
conditioning or withholding funds. I, for one, Mr. Speaker, will not 
vote for any so-called emergency supplemental appropriations bill that 
escalates the war in Iraq, that fails to offer a clear plan for when 
our troops will be coming home.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people get it. They are far ahead of the 
politicians in Washington. They want leadership. They want us to do 
what is right. They want us to end the war.

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