[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 23645]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                MOVING FORWARD AND WINNING PEACE IN IRAQ

  (Mr. AKIN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. AKIN. Mr. Speaker, for the last year the Democrats have been 
saying that the war in Iraq is lost and we should pull our troops out, 
and they were, of course, opposed to the surge. But after hearing from 
witnesses of every political stripe week after week on the oversight 
subcommittee, this profound reality became obvious: The least costly 
and best alternative for America is not to lose. It is to win.
  We are more than halfway through the campaign, and it is too costly 
to quit and to go back. The concept that we can win is novel to 
Democrats perhaps, who think in top-down solutions in Washington and in 
Iraq. But our new military strategy is proving successful.
  Just as our Nation grew from the bottom up, town by town, State by 
State, so also federalism shows success in Iraq. Local communities are 
working closely with our military to curb violence. For this reason, we 
must ensure that they have the freedom and the autonomy to continue to 
develop.
  The best alternative for America in Iraq is to move forward to win 
the peace.

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