[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17690]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              A SERIOUS COURSE CORRECTION NEEDED FOR IRAQ

  (Mr. PERLMUTTER asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Mr. Speaker, on Monday, Senator Lugar, the former 
chairman and current ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations 
Committee, went to the Senate floor and said that the President's troop 
escalation is not working. Then yesterday Republican Senator Voinovich 
said the U.S. should begin pulling troops out of Iraq so that people 
know we are indeed disengaging. But the President and his spokesman 
said, no, we need more troops and more time.
  It has been clear for at least a year that a serious course 
correction is needed in Iraq. But, unfortunately, Republicans in this 
House of Representatives continue to rubber stamp the Bush 
administration's war policies. Democrats are changing the course of 
this misguided war, but with a stubborn President unwilling to face 
reality, congressional Republicans must break ranks with the President 
to do what is best for our Nation and for Iraq.
  It is my hope that the congressional Republicans will seriously 
listen to their colleagues' comments and conclude, as Democrats already 
have, that we need to dramatically change our policy in Iraq.

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