[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 24389-24396]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                  IRAQ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 18, 2007, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I am so happy to have the 
opportunity and the honor to rise this evening to lead the Special 
Order of the Congressional Black Caucus. We are going to be talking 
about Iraq.
  I want to recognize first for comment the Chair of the Congressional 
Black Caucus, my colleague and good friend, the gentlelady from 
Detroit, Michigan, Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick, and to thank her 
for her leadership of her wonderful caucus.
  Ms. KILPATRICK. Mr. Speaker, Members of the Congress and Americans 
across the world, thank you. Thank you very much, Congresswoman Madam 
Chair Stephanie Tubbs Jones, for accepting the responsibility for 
leading the Special Order. Thank you very much.
  We need a new direction in America. We need a plan, one we never had 
4 years, 5 months ago as this country struck a sovereign nation, Iraq. 
We need a plan. I would say a new plan, but we never had an old plan. 
So a plan is what this country must have. President Bush wants the same 
``no plan'' to go forward. It is time for change: over 3,800 Americans 
dead, over 28,000 Americans wounded in battle. Members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, 43 members from 21 States, we represent 
over 40 million Americans. And to a person, all over our districts, 
they want a change. They want a new direction with this war in Iraq. 
Eighteen of our members represent less than 50 percent African 
Americans. Several of our members represent less than 15 percent 
African American. We represent the American people, almost 300 million 
in our country, 40 million represented by the members of our caucus. We 
represent Latino Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, European 
Americans, Indian Americans, and African Americans. The entire multi-
ethnic society are represented by members of the Congressional Black 
Caucus.
  So when we start our Special Order tonight to talk about the war in 
Iraq, a war we never should have fought, a war that has lasted longer 
than World War I, World War II, the Civil War, and the war continues, 
you might remember, America, last spring they were all saying wait 
until September. We sent a bill with benchmarks to the Senate, to the 
House, passed the House, went to the Senate. The President vetoed it. 
We sent him another one. They say, okay, we won't do another one; we 
will wait until September. Well, now General Petraeus is saying not 
September 2007; let's now give them until March 2008. No new plan.
  They are going to ask for $200 billion in the next several weeks. 
Already have spent $565.4 trillion of your tax dollars on a war we 
never should have fought.
  America wants a change; we want a new direction, Mr. President. We 
want to bring our troops home in the most orderly possible plan that we 
can put together. And I hope and the American people hope this 
administration as well as our military leaders will come up with a 
plan. It is your responsibility to do that.
  We support our troops. We support the veterans all over this country 
as well as those veterans who are fighting this war. The mental health 
needs that our country will have as a result of this war, we yet do not 
know. There will be significant needs for mental health services. This 
supplemental has very little money that is coming through. And this is 
a supplemental that we spent this year, 2007 and 2008. Understanding, 
again, we have already spent $565.4 trillion. Repeat that: $565 
trillion in this war.
  We must bring our troops home. We must have a new direction. And as 
members of the Congressional Black Caucus, we will say it over and over 
again: set a plan in motion. Change direction for our country.
  Benchmarks. You heard also, benchmarks. What about these benchmarks 
that Congress, the President, and President Maliki put together earlier 
this year? It is really between President Bush's administration and the 
administration in Iraq, 18 benchmarks that they said they would meet by 
September. The General Accounting Office reported to this Congress last 
week they have met three of them. They are not sustaining their own 
government. They go on vacation, and they want us to fight their war.
  Our people tell us to bring our soldiers home. We hear it across the 
country, Republicans and Democrats as well as independents: bring our 
troops home. It is unconscionable that this Congress would consider as 
an appropriator and as a Member of this body as well as a citizen of 
this country 200 billion new dollars for this ill-advised war in the 
next several months.
  Rise up, America. Thank you for protesting over this last week. Keep 
the protests up. If you can't come to Washington, have them in your own 
State, in your own city. Let us hear your voices. It is too silent out 
there. This is a better country than that.
  So as we come to you tonight as Members of this United States House 
of Representatives, 110th Congress, where there have been 110 African 
Americans elected and voting in this Chamber over these many years, we 
are proud to have that responsibility and we will remain the conscience 
of the Congress. Bring our troops home. End this ill-advised war. 
Rebuild America from the ground up. Our children deserve more. Our 
seniors who built this country need more.
  There is no reason why we can't have top-quality education, good 
health centers, good environment, good infrastructure, bridges that 
don't collapse. But, you see, you can't spend $565 trillion of your 
money in a war that we should not be fighting and at the same time 
invest in America's future.
  So as one of 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, we say to 
you, America, become engaged. Speak out. Ask that we bring our troops 
home. Ask for a new plan. Ask for a change of direction. Our theme for 
2007 and 2008 is change course, do something different. Join. 
Volunteer. Work for a better America. Confront the crisis of the war, 
of education, of health care, of infrastructure needs. And then for us 
to continue the legacy, not just members of the caucus but all 
Americans, continue the legacy of people who have built this country, 
who have laid down their lives. And, for us, so many of our ancestors 
and forebears who fought the civil rights movement who speak out today 
for a just America.
  So my brothers and sisters, American citizens, rise up, change 
course. Fight to end this war today so that your grandchildren will 
have a better America tomorrow.
  Mr. Speaker: One of the costs of the war in Iraq that is often 
overlooked is the waste of tax dollars that could be used to fund 
programs and facilities that would improve our quality of life. 
America's families want access to well-paying jobs, affordable health 
care, and quality education. The War in Iraq presents a threat to our 
military readiness and the development of communities across our 
country. We must reinvest in programs that address the priorities of 
America's families to preserve the safety, security and stability of 
Americans everywhere.
  I was against the War in Iraq from the beginning I will continue to 
stand strong for the

[[Page 24390]]

citizens of the 13th Congressional District of Michigan and America. We 
must take America in a new direction. Let us work together to ``Change 
Course, Confront Crises, and Continue the Legacy.''


                       It'S TIME TO CHANGE COURSE

  The citizens of the 13th Congressional District of Michigan have 
collectively spent $555.4 million in Iraq. For this much money, we 
could have provided, right here to citizens in the 13th Congressional 
District: 190,892 people with health care; 7,747 more elementary school 
teachers; 83,268 more places with Head Start; 379,635 children with 
health care; 4,477 more affordable housing units for working class 
people and senior citizens; 50 new elementary schools; 60,288 
scholarships for college students; 7,670 music and arts teachers; 
12,009 police officers, fire fighters and emergency medical 
technicians; 780,628 homes with renewable energy options; or 8,403 port 
container inspectors. [Progressive Congressional Caucus, 9/10/07]


                      IT'S TIME TO CONFRONT CRISES

  On September 7, 2007, the non-partisan General Accounting Office 
concluded that the Iraqi government ``met three, partially met four, 
and did not meet 11 out of 18 benchmarks. Overall, key legislation has 
not been passed, and it is unclear whether the Iraqi government will 
spend $10 billion in reconstruction funds.'' [GAO-07-1230T]
  As of September 10, 2007, 3,759 U.S. troops have been killed and more 
than 27,770 have been wounded in the Iraq war since it began in March 
2003. [Department of Defense, 9/10/07]


                    IT'S TIME TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY

  The Iraq Study Group stated that the use of the military in Iraq has 
passed; it is time for diplomacy to take place. Regrettably, diplomacy 
has not been seriously considered by the President, and internecine 
warfare and outright civil war has filled the vacuum of this viable 
option in Iraq. [Iraq Study Group, December 6, 2006]
  Out of four million Iraqis who are refugees, the United States has 
taken in a total of 687 between April 1, 2003, and February 28, 2007. 
[Congressional Research Service, March 23, 2007]. 78 percent of 
Americans believe the U.S. should withdraw some or all of our troops 
from Iraq. [New York Times, 9/10/07]. 60 percent of Americans say the 
U.S. should set a timetable to withdraw our forces from Iraq and should 
``stick to that timetable regardless of what is going on in Iraq.'' 
[USA Today. 9/10/07]


                          IT'S TIME FOR CHANGE

  As of September 2007, U.S. troops have been in Iraq for four years 
and six months. The Revolutionary War lasted eight years and two 
months. The American Civil War lasted four years. The Spanish-American 
War lasted five months in 1898. World War I lasted four years and just 
under five months. The U.S. role in World War II started in December of 
1941; it ended in 1945. U.S. involvement in Vietnam lasted more than a 
decade; until Saigon fell to North Vietnam in April 1975.


 WHEN WILL ENOUGH BE ENOUGH? Funding a Fiasco: The Cost of the War in 
                                  Iraq

  We have spent, as Americans, more than half a billion dollars in Iraq 
since March 2003. The President is expected to request another $200 
billion. FY 2003--$53 billion; FY 2004--$75.6 billion; FY 2005--$84.7 
billion; FY 2006--$101.7 billion; FY 2007--$135.2 billion; FY 2008--
$116.3 billion; TOTAL--$566.8 billion.
  According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the U.S. 
spends about $10 billion per month in Iraq. That's $3,816 per second; 
$228,938 per minute; $329,670,330 per day, or $2,307,692,380 per week.


                          IRAQ BY THE NUMBERS

  Amount, in billions of dollars, that has been spent in Iraq--$565; 
Amount, in billions of dollars, that the war has cost the State of 
Michigan--$11.9; Number of wounded U.S. troops--27,770; Number of U.S. 
troops that have lost their lives--3,759; Percent of Americans who 
believe we should withdraw some or all of our troops from Iraq--78; 
Percent of Iraqis that want U.S. forces and our coalition allies to 
leave their country immediately--47; Years we have been at war in 
Iraq--4.5; Number of the 18 benchmarks the Iraqi government has met--3.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. In conjunction with what my colleague has already 
said, can you imagine that of the amount of money we spend in Iraq, we 
could put in place 4,072,709 additional housing units nationwide? In 
Ohio, we could put 142,849. Imagine this, right in the city of 
Cleveland where we have 2,185 homeless, we could take care of them and 
they would not have to be homeless.
  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to yield time to my colleague 
and good friend who has been at the forefront of issues around this 
war, the Congresswoman from California, Congresswoman Barbara Lee. And 
I yield to her 5 minutes.
  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, first I would like to thank the gentlelady from 
Ohio, who is the Chair of our House Ethics Committee, for yielding and 
for her tremendous leadership on so many issues, and for her 
consistent, and I mean consistent, opposition to this war from day one.
  Also I would like to thank the Chair of our Congressional Black 
Caucus, Congresswoman Carolyn Kilpatrick, for your outstanding 
leadership and also for your commitment in changing the President's 
failed policy on Iraq and for making sure that the Congressional Black 
Caucus speaks in one voice. Thank you, Congresswoman Kilpatrick.
  Let me also salute all of our colleagues from the Congressional Black 
Caucus who have opposed this war from the start, including 
Congresswoman Maxine Waters who actually boldly started the Out of Iraq 
Caucus. If our voices had been listened to, we would not have embarked 
upon this unnecessary, immoral war. I once again stand here as the 
daughter of a 25-year veteran who fought in two wars. It is past time 
to end this war.
  Mr. Speaker, last week the President once again took to the air waves 
to make his case for the same old ``stay the course'' strategy. He said 
that he will return the number of troops in Iraq to pre-surge levels by 
July of 2008. He wants us to believe that by getting back to where we 
were last January sometime next summer, he wants us to think that that 
is progress. The American people aren't buying that. They know how to 
count. It is the same song and dance from the people who told us that 
there were weapons of mass destruction, who assured us that we would be 
greeted as liberators, who declared ``mission accomplished,'' and said 
really it is mission impossible but he declared mission accomplished 
and who said we were turning the corner and that the insurgency was in 
its last throes.
  The fact is that the Bush ``stay the course'' strategy put us on the 
path for 10 years of occupation in Iraq at the minimum. It is time to 
call this what it is. It is really the President's plan to run out the 
clock on his failed policy, to move the goal post once again so that he 
could sneak out the back door and leave the American people holding the 
bag after he leaves the White House.
  Well, let me ask you, how many of our troops should die so the 
President can save face? How many Iraqis must die to convince the 
President that the occupation is bringing disaster to hundreds of 
thousands of Iraqis? How much of our tax dollars should we spend so the 
President can avoid admitting that his policy failed? We are now 
spending $12 billion a month in Iraq. For the price of 1 month in Iraq, 
we could be paying for 1.5 million children to go to Head Start for a 
year. For the price of 1 month in Iraq, we could have hired 200,000 new 
school teachers for a year. For the price of 1 month in Iraq, we could 
have insured 7 million of the 8.7 million children living in this 
country without medical insurance for a year. Mr. Speaker, that is just 
the cost of 30 days in Iraq, and the President thinks we should be 
staying yet another 10 years. That is far too high a price to pay for 
him to save face.
  All the talk about military progress in Iraq is a distraction. It is 
a smoke screen that only serves to obscure the basic fundamental fact 
that there is no military solution to the situation in Iraq. Our brave 
troops are trapped in a civil war and an occupation. Our continued 
presence there is not only challenging our military; it is undermining 
our national security and our efforts to fight international terrorism. 
That is why every member of the Congressional Black Caucus really 
cosponsored a resolution which we sponsored banning military bases and 
control, at least U.S. control, of the Iraqi oil.

                              {time}  2030

  This resolution passed this body on a very large bipartisan vote, 
and, in fact,

[[Page 24391]]

it sent a strong message that we do not intend to occupy Iraq, at least 
this House doesn't intend to have that as our policy.
  Despite this administration's, though, efforts to frame this as an 
issue of victory and defeat, the fact remains that redeployment of 
United States troops from Iraq is really a precondition; it's a 
precondition to restoring our national security and our efforts to 
fight terrorism and putting us on a path toward a foreign policy that 
provides real solutions for global peace and security. Redeployment is 
a precondition, a precondition for engaging Iraq's neighbors and the 
international community in a regional stability plan.
  We have a moral obligation to help build Iraq. We bombed the country 
and we, for the most part, destroyed it. But neither Iraq's neighbors 
nor the international community will truly engage in a regional 
stability plan as long as they believe that the United States intends 
to maintain an indefinite occupation. Redeployment is a precondition 
for any successful effort to combat global terrorism.
  The United States' occupation of Iraq has become a rallying point for 
terrorist recruitment, training and fund-raising, a factor that 
actively undermines our antiterrorism efforts.
  Congress has the power to end the Bush administration's failed policy 
in Iraq. But it means, it really means that Members of Congress are 
going to have to make a choice. Are we going to stand with the 
President for an open-ended occupation that sacrifices our troops' 
lives so he can save face, or are we going to act to bring this 
disastrous policy to a conclusion? The choice is simple.
  Congress should not provide another dime, not another dime for the 
President's failed policy. We should provide the money necessary to 
fully fund the safe, timely and responsible redeployment of troops and 
contractors from Iraq. And let me tell you, the American people support 
this.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, let me remind you that members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus saw this disaster coming and tried to stop 
it. If you recall, we had an amendment when the authorization to use 
force came before this body, it was my amendment, that would have 
allowed the United Nations inspectors to complete their inspection 
process for weapons of mass destruction. Congress then, however, voted 
to go to war. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus voted for that 
resolution. Members of the Congressional Black Caucus continue to 
oppose the occupation and work day and night to bring our young men and 
women home. And we will continue to be that voice that reminds our 
country that we truly, we really, we honestly, we do support and love 
our troops, and the best way that we can demonstrate that, the only way 
that we can demonstrate that, is by bringing them home and making sure 
that they have their economic security, their health care, and their 
mental health care and the resources they need to take their lives 
back.
  Thank you, Congresswoman Kilpatrick, for your leadership and for 
calling us together tonight. Thank you, Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs 
Jones, for pulling us together and making sure we all stay on time and 
for your leadership on so many issues.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Thank you, Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
  Quick statistics. Of the young men and women who have been killed in 
Iraq, total 3,734, 885 were less than 22; 1,013 were between 22 and 24; 
1,007 between the age of 25 and 30; 445 between the age of 31 and 35; 
and older than 35, 445.
  It gives me great pleasure at this time to yield to my good friend 
and colleague from the great State of California, the Chair of the Out 
of Iraq Caucus, Congresswoman Maxine Waters for such time as she may 
consume.
  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank Congresswoman Stephanie 
Tubbs Jones for the leadership that she's providing this evening, 
having taken out the time on the floor to have the members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus engage this body on this issue of the war in 
Iraq. I thank you for your leadership, and I'm proud to work with you 
to help bring our Congress to the conclusion that we must get out of 
Iraq.
  Last week, President Bush and his White House propaganda machine made 
another attempt at misleading the Nation. Yet again, unsubstantiated 
anecdotal claims of progress were used to support a continued 
occupation of Iraq.
  However, the President's claims of progress ran contrary to multiple 
independent reports recently published, including, from the Government 
Accountability Office, General Jones, and the National Intelligence 
Estimate. These reports painted a bleak picture of Iraq: Continued high 
levels of violence, a dysfunctional Iraqi government, and sectarian 
influence that continue to plague the Iraqi security forces.
  President Bush's vision of an enduring relationship with Iraq amounts 
to an endless and unlimited military occupation. Instead of a 
significant change of policy, the President has reaffirmed his 
commitment to a dangerous continuation of a failed policy in Iraq.
  Deepening sectarian divisions in Iraq make the American military 
presence increasingly obsolete. In fact, our presence may actually be 
making the situation worse as Iraqi political leaders hide behind our 
troops and refuse to make the necessary compromises.
  Meanwhile, we continue to train and equip Iraqi security forces and 
so-called volunteer Sunni sectarian militias across Iraq. Experts 
suggest that we're merely training different sides of a violent civil 
war, and losing track of over 190,000 weapons meant for the security 
forces is surely only adding fuel to the fires raging in Iraq. That is 
why my colleagues and I recently introduced H.R. 3134, the Responsible 
Security in Iraq Act. This legislation will halt the dangerous practice 
of training and equipping of Iraqi security forces, at least until the 
Iraqi Government matures.
  At the cost of precious American lives, the President seeks only to 
disguise the fact that he has no exit strategy for Iraq. It becomes 
increasingly clear that George Bush seeks only to protect his own 
legacy and saddle the next President with the mess he's created in the 
Middle East.
  Let us not forget that, in addition to almost 3,800 troops who have 
died, 800 of those troops who have died in Iraq have died since the 
surge was announced in January, including 16 troops since General 
Petraeus came to Congress to testify just last week.
  I know that the media, many in the media have blamed the wonderful, 
wonderful support group of the Democratic Caucus and people who want to 
get us out of Iraq for attacking General Petraeus. But I join with 
them, not in an attack on General Petraeus, but in telling the truth 
about what has been happening.
  Moveon.org need not be ashamed of its advocacy. They need not be a 
shame of its ads. They are telling the truth, and we need to speak 
truth to power on this issue.
  President Bush sought to appease those who oppose the war by 
announcing that 5,700 troops will be coming home this year, and another 
few brigades will possibly return by summer of next year. But these 
reductions were scheduled to occur with or without Bush's consent. 
Deployment limits are being reached, and the military has no trained 
and ready troops to replace the ones leaving.
  As the New York Times stated, it's like George Bush dropping an 
object and then taking credit for gravity.
  Regardless, these planned reductions would merely lower our troop 
levels to 130,000 by summer of 2008. It is absolutely unacceptable that 
our military presence in Iraq by next summer will still be the same as 
pre-surge levels.
  I'm delighted for the families of the troops who will be leaving 
Iraq. Many of these troops will be returning from a second, third or 
even fourth deployment. However, without a significant change in 
strategy, the President is signaling that these troops should not get 
too comfortable at home. President Bush will surely have them deployed 
back to Iraq as soon as possible.

[[Page 24392]]

  As Chair of the Out of Iraq Caucus, I, along with my colleagues, have 
been advocating for a different direction for years now. In stark 
contrast to the direction of the President, we understand that the only 
acceptable option for Iraq is a fully funded withdrawal of all of our 
troops and military contracts.
  The other day, my friend, Congressman John Murtha said, and I quote, 
``Yes, many Iraqis consider us the occupiers. But it is also true that 
Iraq is really occupying us.'' We couldn't be more right. He couldn't 
be more right.
  Let's bring our troops home to their families as soon as possible and 
refocus this country's resources on the issues that matter the most to 
the American people. It is time to end this war in Iraq.
  And to those who are getting a little bit disgusted with the fact 
that we don't seem to be making as much progress as we should here in 
the Congress of the United States, I would like to encourage them not 
to give up.
  I know that it appears that Petraeus and the President organized a 
presentation and tried to win over the hearts of Americans by putting a 
general out there, just as he put Colin Powell out when Colin Powell 
went up to the U.N. and pointed to the buildings where weapons of mass 
destruction were being manufactured. Colin Powell has said since that 
time, it was perhaps the worst thing that he could have done in his 
career. And of course, people respect generals, and they respect 
Petraeus because he has a long history of having made sacrifice and 
having been a good warrior.
  But ladies and gentlemen, he's wrong on this one. We don't have to 
back up. We don't have to shy away from this fight. We don't have to 
give in and think somehow we're going to be thought of as unpatriotic. 
Patriotism is to stand up for what is right, what is right for the 
security of this Nation.
  We're at greater risk now than we were before we went in to invade 
Iraq. As a matter of fact, this President and this war has unsettled 
the entire Middle East. We know that since we've been there, not only 
have we created a civil war and all of the sectarian violence, we also 
know that we have pulled in to this war Iran, and we also know that we 
are on the verge of pulling in Syria to this war. We also know that 
this entire Middle East is unsettled because of our occupation.
  Despite the fact that the President of the United States said we 
would be welcomed with open arms, they want us out of Iraq. They want 
to end the occupation.
  Yes, we have some responsibilities there. Yes, we should help to 
rebuild Iraq, but first, we must bring our soldiers home. We must stop 
the carnage. We must stop the killings. We must bring our soldiers 
home.
  And I join with Barbara Lee and Lynn Woolsey and members of the 
Congressional Black Caucus who support the idea that we will vote for 
funding to bring the troops home safely and securely. We will not vote 
for funding to continue this war.
  We know that the President of the United States has made another 
request in a supplemental. I will not be voting for any funding to 
continue the war. And for those of us who really, really believe in 
what we're saying, for those of us who are committed to the proposition 
that we can end this war, we will not give him another dime to continue 
the war.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. I'd like to thank Congresswoman Waters for her 
statement.
  For the Record, I have a statement from Congresswoman Eddie Bernice 
Johnson to be submitted for the Record.
  Listen to these statistics. Of the percentage of persons serving in 
the military, 60 percent are white, 23 percent are African American, 10 
percent are Hispanic, 3 Asian American Pacific. Of those serving in the 
Navy, 62 percent are Caucasian, 19 percent are African American. Those 
serving in the Air Force, 72 percent are Caucasian, 15 percent are 
African American, in the Marine Corps, 66 percent are Caucasian, 12 are 
African American.
  Let's look at the statistics with regard to deaths as a result of 
this Iraq war. Of the 3,734 who have been killed in this war, 40 are 
American Indian or Alaska Native, 69 Asian, 350 African Americans, 405 
Hispanic, Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 440.

                              {time}  2045

  Totally in 2007, Caucasian, a total of 3,734.
  Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure at this point to yield to my 
colleague and good friend from the great State of Texas, Congresswoman 
Sheila Jackson-Lee.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the distinguished 
chairwoman of the Ethics Committee, but also our leader on the Special 
Order hour tonight.
  What a timely hour that you have allowed us to participate in. I add 
my appreciation as well to the chairwoman of the Congressional Black 
Caucus and as well the leaders of the Out of Iraq Caucus and the 
Progressive Caucus, of which I am a member.
  And so I raise the question tonight, where do we go from here? And I 
have standing in alongside of me the growing numbers of those fallen in 
battle from the 18th Congressional District and surrounding areas. 
Those faces represent families. They are husbands, wives, sisters and 
brothers, mothers and fathers. They have left grandmothers and 
grandfathers. They have left family and friends. And it is interesting, 
as I look at a headline in the Houston Chronicle, it says: ``America 
Has No Exit Strategy But Our President Does.'' And the gist of the 
article is that the exit strategy for President Bush is his retirement. 
For it is evident from his remarks last week that this administration 
has no exit strategy other than to say, I will not have the exiting of 
our troops. I will not cease the loss of lives until I leave the White 
House. I will not have the legacy of the book being written to say that 
I worked with the United States Congress, the American people, listened 
to their voices, understood that this was a political solution and not 
a military solution, but I will not sit down and reconcile with my 
Congress, with the American people, and bring our troops home as 
heroes. No, I am going to stay to the end and leave this to the next 
President.
  A GI who died had criticized the war in Iraq. Seven soldiers signed a 
letter. Shortly thereafter, the soldier from Texas, Sergeant Omar Mora, 
died, one of his other fellow signers of the letter asking why are we 
here. Criticizing the war in Iraq. Soldiers on the battlefield. It is 
interesting that what is represented is that there is one mind in Iraq 
of these soldiers, but these soldiers are patriots who want to ask the 
question based upon their constitutional rights. Tragically, as the 
picture will show, this young man lost his life, and a fellow soldier 
who signed the letter likewise lost his life.
  Another headline: ``Texas City Sergeant Dies in Iraq Accident.'' Even 
in the last 24 hours, we are finding that those contractors, paid-for 
contractors, American contractors, one of our defense contractors, if 
you will, wound up killing 10-or-so Iraqis under the allegation that 
they were attacking a State Department envoy. We want those envoys to 
be protected, officials traveling around, but what they wind up doing 
is bringing Black Hawk helicopters. And these are private contractors 
making $100,000 a year shooting up innocent Iraqis, creating then a 
greater target of our own military personnel. What is going on in Iraq?
  So, Mr. Speaker and Madam Chairwoman, I rise today to suggest that it 
is time to declare a military success. This is not a question of 
agreeing with the ``Mission Accomplished'' of the President of the 
United States. This is to separate the political reconciliation that 
must be done by the Maliki government and surrounding Mid East states 
to resolve the conflict between Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds to the work of 
our soldiers. Our soldiers have done their job.
  So H.R. 930, the Military Success Act of 2007, wants to declare a 
military success. Saddam Hussein is no longer there. We have had an 
election where we have elected a democratic government. And so all that 
our military has been asked to do, they have done it.
  We have even gone further with the surge and collaborated with Sunnis 
and

[[Page 24393]]

created a peaceful area in Anbar, but yet the sheik was assassinated. 
Why? Because you must have political reconciliation. And while we stand 
here on the floor tonight, soldiers are dying. These faces are growing.
  Mr. President, do you understand that the American people have 
spoken? And this is not cut and run, but this is recognizing that we 
are spending $10 billion a month, which translates into $329,670,330 
per day, $13,736,264 per hour, $228,938 per minute, and $3,816 per 
second.
  I believe that we should move to the floor of the House, declare our 
soldiers victorious in the work they were assigned to do, and bring our 
troops home.
  It is important to note that any false representation that bringing 
home troops in December is a reflection of the voices of the American 
people is not true. Having 130,000 troops in 2008, July, does nothing 
to bring our troops home. It is a reduction of the surge.
  And so I am asking that our troops be brought home in a safe and 
secure manner so that our equipment can be brought out and that the 
announcement that the troops will begin to redeploy begins.
  This is not a situation of fight them there or fight them here. This 
is not typographing this to the enemy. The enemy is well aware of 
everything we do. The President knows that General Petraeus said that 
al Qaeda was not there when Saddam Hussein was there. They were not 
there when we entered Iraq. They got there in 2005. And, therefore, it 
is important for the Shias, Sunnis, and Kurds to join together to fight 
al Qaeda. Everyone knows that Iraq is a place that is a training ground 
for al Qaeda.
  So I think it is important, as I close, to be able to again offer our 
hand of reconciliation to the President, sit down with the leadership 
of this Congress. As Speaker Pelosi said, don't let this be a 10-year 
war. It is already longer than World War II. Save the lives of these 
valiant soldiers, rebuild our military, and let the political process 
in Iraq work so that peace and reconciliation can be brought forward.
  It is a tragedy, and I offer my greatest sympathy to those who have 
fallen in battle; those who have been injured, some thousands, 22,000, 
25,000, and growing. We must bring our troops home. We must listen to 
the voices of the American people. These are our heroes. The heroes are 
still standing in Iraq. Bring them home with yellow ribbons. Bring them 
home with celebration. It is time to vote and pass H.R. 930, the 
Military Success Act of 2007. Our soldiers have been successful in 
duty.
  Mr. Speaker, may I also thank my colleagues in the Congressional 
Black Caucus (CBC) for gathering on the floor tonight to discuss this 
important topic. This Congress will not, as the previous Republican 
Congress did, continue to rubber stamp what we believe to be an ill-
conceived war. As we continue to receive reports on the situation in 
Iraq, it is important that we continue to look forward, to the future 
of Iraq beyond a U.S. military occupation.
  Despite the multitude of mistakes perpetrated by President Bush and 
former Defense Secretary Rumsfeld, our troops have achieved a military 
success in ousting Saddam Hussein and assisting the Iraqis in 
administering a democratic election and electing a democratic 
government. However, only the Iraqi government can secure a lasting 
peace. Time and time again, the Iraqi government has demonstrated an 
inability to deliver on the political benchmarks that they themselves 
agreed were essential to achieving national reconciliation. Continuing 
to put the lives of our soldiers and our national treasury in the hands 
of what by most informed accounts, even by members of the Bush 
Administration, is an ineffective central Iraqi government is 
irresponsible and contrary to the wishes of the overwhelming majority 
of the American people.
  Our nation has already paid a heavy price in Iraq. Over 3770 American 
soldiers have died. In addition, more than 27,660 have been wounded in 
the Iraq war since it began in March 2003. June, July, and August have 
marked the bloodiest months yet in the conflict, and U.S. casualties in 
Iraq are 62 percent higher this year than at this time in 2006. This 
misguided, mismanaged, and misrepresented war has claimed too many 
lives of our brave servicemen; its depth, breadth, and scope are 
without precedent in American history. In addition, the U.S. is 
spending an estimated $10 billion per month in Iraq. This $10 billion a 
month translates into $329,670,330 per day, $13,736,264 per hour, 
$228,938 per minute, and $3,816 per second.
  Mr. Speaker, we are here today because the Congress has listened to 
the American people, and demanded accountability, oversight, and 
competence. We saw fit to demand benchmark reports because the American 
people lost confidence in the Rubber Stamp Republican Congress and the 
Bush-Cheney team. The American people want a new strategy for success 
in Iraq.
  The Foreign Affairs Committee, of which I am proud to be a member, 
has recently heard a string of reports from military and civilian 
officials about the political, military, social, and economic situation 
in Iraq. Two weeks ago, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) 
informed the Congress that the Iraqi government has met only three of 
the eighteen legislative, economic, and security benchmarks. Despite 
the surge, despite increasing U.S. military involvement, the Iraqi 
government has not made substantial progress toward stabilizing their 
country.
  President Bush rationalized his surge, over opposition by myself and 
other House Democrats, by arguing it would give the Iraqi government 
``the breathing space it needs to make progress in other critical 
areas,'' bringing about reconciliation between warring factions, Sunni 
and Shia. However, non-partisan assessments, such as last week's GAO 
report, have illustrated that escalating U.S. military involvement in 
Iraq is instead hindering that nation's ability to move beyond the 
devastation of war and death, to build a successful new government, and 
to create a stable and secure environment. In the seven months since 
the surge began, increased American military presence has not been able 
to end the relentless cycles of sectarian violence that continue to 
plague Iraq. Nor have larger numbers of U.S. troops been successful in 
unifying and strengthening the Iraqi government.
  Instead, the security situation continues to deteriorate. Sectarian 
violence remains high, and even the Bush Administration has noted the 
unsatisfactory progress toward political reconciliation. The Sunni-led 
insurgency continues, with insurgents conducting increasingly complex 
and well-coordinated attacks. The August 2007 National Intelligence 
Estimate cited ongoing violence, stating, ``the level of overall 
violence, including attacks on and casualties among civilians, remain 
high; Iraq's sectarian groups remain unreconciled.'' The report went on 
to note that al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) ``retains the ability to conduct 
high-profile attacks,'' and ``Iraqi political leaders remain unable to 
govern effectively.''
  The ever-increasing sectarian violence is causing immense daily 
challenges for Iraqis. Millions have been displaced, and an Iraqi Red 
Crescent Organization has reported an increase of nearly 630,000 
internally displaced persons from February 2007 to July 2007. The same 
organization predicts an additional 80,000 to 100,000 persons are 
displaced each month. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has 
estimated that 1.8 million Iraqis are now refugees, with an additional 
40,000 to 50,000 fleeing to neighboring countries each month. Iraq has 
become a humanitarian disaster, and one that continues to get worse 
every day.
  We are not here today to debate whether there has been some decrease 
in violence in Baghdad. The United States military is a skilled and 
highly proficient organization, and where there are large numbers of 
U.S. troops, it is unsurprising that we see fewer incidents of 
violence. However, it is our responsibility to take a longer-term view. 
The United States will not and should not permanently prop up the Iraqi 
government and military. U.S. military involvement in Iraq will come to 
an end, and, when U.S. forces leave, the responsibility for securing 
their nation will fall to Iraqis themselves. And so far, we have not 
seen a demonstrated commitment by the Iraqi government.
  In addition, evidence suggests that not only is increased U.S. 
military presence in Iraq not making that nation more secure, it may 
also be threatening our national security by damaging our ability to 
respond to real threats to our own homeland. The recently released 
video by Osama bin Laden serves to illustrate that President Bush has 
not caught this international outlaw, nor brought him to justice. 
Instead, he has diverted us from the real war on terror to the war of 
his choice in Iraq.
  The former chairman and vice chairman of the 9/11 commission, Thomas 
H. Kean and Lee H. Hamilton, share this view. In a recent op-ed, Kean 
and Hamilton note that our own actions have contributed to a rise of 
radicalization and rage in the Muslim world.

[[Page 24394]]

Kean and Hamilton write that ``no conflict drains more time, attention, 
blood, treasure, and support from our worldwide counterterrorism 
efforts than the war in Iraq. It has become a powerful recruiting and 
training tool for al-Qaeda.''
  Mr. Speaker, our troops in Iraq did everything we asked them to do. 
We sent them overseas to fight an army; they are now caught in the 
midst of an insurgent civil war and political upheaval. I have, for 
some time now, advocated for Congressional legislation declaring a 
military victory in Iraq, and recognizing the success of our military. 
Our brave troops have completed the task we set for them; it is time 
now to bring them home. Our next steps should not be a continuing 
escalation of military involvement, but instead a diplomatic surge.
  This is why I introduced H.R. 930, the ``Military Success in Iraq and 
Diplomatic Surge for National and Political Reconciliation in Iraq Act 
of 2007.'' This legislation would make diplomacy and statecraft tools 
of the first, rather than the last, resort. We must seek constructive 
engagement with Iraq, its neighbors, and the rest of the international 
community, as we work to bring resolution to this calamitous conflict 
that has already gone on far too long.
  Democrats in Congress will not continue to rubber stamp the 
President's ill-conceived war effort. Last November, the American 
people spoke loudly and clearly, demanding a new direction to U.S. 
foreign policy, and we here in Congress are committed to seeing that 
change be brought about. We are working to see the extensive funds 
currently being spent to sustain the war in Iraq go to important 
domestic programs and to securing our homeland against real and 
imminent threats.
  President Bush and Vice-President Cheney have been given numerous 
chances and ample time by the American people and the Congress to 
straighten out the mess in Iraq. They have failed. It is pure fantasy 
to imagine that President Bush's military surge has created the 
necessary safety and security to meet economic, legislative, and 
security benchmarks. It is time for a new strategy, a new plan that 
will encourage Iraqis to take charge of their own destiny, seek 
constructive and sustained regional engagement, and substitute the ill-
advised military surge for a thoughtful diplomatic one. It is time to 
be realistic and pragmatic, to recognize that our troops achieved what 
they were initially sent in for and that continued U.S. military 
engagement is not bringing about the desired results.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Thank you, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson-Lee of 
Texas.
  Did you know that there are proportionately more African American and 
proportionately fewer white servicemen in the military than in the 
comparable civilian workforce? In other words, there are greater 
numbers of African Americans serving in the military than in the 
workforce of the United States of America. That presents a problem.
  I will go on with other statistics as the hour goes along, but it 
gives me great pleasure to yield to my colleague and friend from the 
great State of Georgia, the gentleman, David Scott.
  Mr. SCOTT of Georgia. Thank you very much. It is indeed a pleasure to 
be on the floor with you, gentlelady and good friend from Ohio. You are 
doing a wonderful job in leading this hour.
  To the Congressional Black Caucus and the leadership of the 
Congressional Black Caucus, America must take its collective hats off 
to the Congressional Black Caucus for from the very beginning it has 
been the Congressional Black Caucus that has provided the leadership in 
speaking out on this war in Iraq and in speaking out from a standpoint 
of what is wrong with it. And I am proud to be on the floor with you 
this evening.
  I thought that I might come at this from the perspective of where I 
sit in the Congress. I was not here when the actual vote took place 6 
years ago to commit our forces to Iraq. I was a part 5 years ago coming 
into Congress with that first class that came in after 9/11, and it was 
an extraordinary time. But I think it's very good for us, as we look at 
this situation in Iraq, to be able to reflect from it. My father always 
would tell me, Son, the best way for you to get out of a problem is to 
remember how you got into it in the first place. And it might be good 
for us to do that.
  I happen to serve on the Foreign Affairs Committee. I am the vice 
chairman of our Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, 
Nonproliferation, and International Trade. I also am a member of the 
NATO Parliamentary Assembly, and I am the co-chairman of our Democratic 
group on National Security. I mentioned those positions that I work 
with here in the Congress so that you can understand the perspective 
from which I come to this very important issue of Iraq. And let me just 
state at the very beginning, as I said, it's good to know how you got 
into a situation.
  There is one profound fact that happened on 9/11. On the very day of 
9/11 after a conference in the White House between our Vice President 
Cheney, Defense Secretary Rumsfield, and Deputy Defense Secretary 
Wolfowitz, collectively they said these words: Iraq must pay for this. 
That's very profound. On the day of the 9/11 attack, the basic 
architects of this policy said, without one iota of evidence, without 
one iota of anything, Iraq must pay for this. Not even knowing it was 
al Qaeda, but automatically.
  Now, I mention that simply because, as I said, we have got to know 
how we got into a situation to know how we get out of it. That's very 
profound. The reason I mention that is that from the very beginning 
there has been a line of direct effort by some, the major architects of 
this most misguided foreign policy, to equate Iraq with the war on 
terror. A colossal mistake and the history books will reflect that. We 
then prepared to go in and attack a country that did not attack us.
  I am on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and last week I sat with great 
admiration and I truly believe I have great admiration for General 
David Petraeus. He's a general, he's a soldier's soldier, and he is 
doing and has done a remarkable job, as have all of our military. But 
as I sat there and I watched him, this general, my mind went back to 
another general at the beginning of this by the name of Colin Powell. 
Here was the same situation. After 9/11 we sat there and a general was 
put in front of us to sell us on going to war with Iraq, with 
information and intelligence that many in the administration knew was 
not true. The books that are pouring out now by the bushel tell us that 
everybody, from the CIA to the Defense Department to so many who were 
saying this, in other words, that the intelligence books were cooked. 
Not a single person from Iraq came over to us and asked us, Come over 
to our country and turn us into a democracy.
  No, this was a war of choice based upon lies and deceit, and that is 
why this will go down in history as the biggest foreign policy blunder 
in the history of these United States. Make no mistake about it.
  So the question has to be now, why? Here we are in Iraq on lies and 
misinformation that are out now by the book loads; so we can't deny it.

                              {time}  2100

  And the American people know it. And they are expecting this Congress 
of the United States to stand up to this White House and say, ``No 
more.''
  Let me tell you something, folks; I've been over there to Iraq, three 
times I've been over there. I have met with our soldiers, I have eaten 
with them. But the most important part of my trips over there was not 
to Camp Victory or to the Green Zone or to Baghdad. Even my meetings 
with General Casey, General Abizaid, all of them, which I cherish and I 
have pictures and all of that, and even the meeting I had with one 
soldier from Georgia who came up to me and hugged me with tears 
streaming down his eyes, tears streaming down my eyes, and he said to 
me, Congressman Scott, when I'm hugging you, it's like I'm hugging a 
piece of home. I can't tell you how I felt.
  But ladies and gentlemen, let me just tell you the most significant 
parts of these trips was on the way back. Each stop that I went over to 
go to Ramstein Air Base, Landstuhl, that's the hospital, that's the 
medical center. That's where they come, the injured come when they are 
injured in down country, as they call it, in Afghanistan and Iraq. 
That's where they are. You want to know about this war, you want to 
know why this war needs to be ended, that's the story, to look into 
these 18- and 19- and 20- and 21-year-old kids'

[[Page 24395]]

eyes, half their heads blown off, arms missing, blind, and they ask the 
question, why? Why? Why are we here?
  I'm telling you, somebody's going to have to answer that question. On 
the bleached bones of many past great civilizations and nations are 
written those pathetic words, ``Too late.'' They moved too late to 
correct a great wrong. I beg and I hope that this Congress has the 
resolve in it to not move too late now. The whole world is depending on 
us.
  One of the things that President Bush did, and we've got to 
understand it, what he did in sending General Petraeus up is the same 
he did in sending Colin Powell up. And history is going to write it, 
not David Scott, not Mrs. Tubbs Jones, not this Congress, history is 
going to write that this President will go down in history as being a 
President that highly used and misused our military. That is one of the 
greatest shames coming out of this Iraq situation.
  And now, here we are in Iraq. I don't think the American people know 
that over one-half of our entire combat capacity is involved in Iraq. 
If I'm China, if I'm Russia, if I'm Iran, which they are, they're 
sitting back fat and happy, anxious to see us continue to run our 
military in the ground in this fruitless effort in Iraq. Soldiers, many 
of them on their third and fourth tours of duty. Fifteen months they've 
extended it to, not even giving an equal amount of time for rest 
because they know that the military is at the breaking point. No way we 
can continue this war. It will run our military into the ground.
  And now let me just say one word about the President's move here. 
What this is is the President is saying to us, I'm not going to end 
this. It's not going to be on my watch. Even out of his own mouth he 
says we will hand this enduring relationship in Iraq over, as he says 
it, to my successor. That's what he said, to his successor.
  So the American people have nixed that. The President is out of the 
picture, but we here in Congress are in the picture. It's up to us to 
not move too late. We must correct the direction we're headed, and the 
first order of business is to end this war in Iraq.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. I would like to thank my colleague from Georgia 
(Mr. Scott) for his statement.


                             General Leave

  For the Record, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 
legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material on the subject of my Special Order today.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Ohio?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. I want to thank my colleague, the newest Member 
of the Congressional Black Caucus, who has joined us in the House, 
Congresswoman Laura Richardson, from the great State of California, who 
has joined us on the floor this evening, for her support. I also want 
to thank my staffer, Aaron Wasserman, for his work and research.
  Let me close out this Special Order with a few more statistics and a 
couple of statements. Can you imagine this: The amount of money that 
we've spent on the Iraq war so far, 270,850,440 children could benefit 
from receiving health insurance for 1 year. In addition, a Census 
Bureau news release stated that 8.7 million uninsured children in 2006 
could be insured for 31 years with the amount of money that has been 
used in the Iraq war. The number of 4-year scholarships that could be 
provided, 21,927,497 scholarships could be provided to the children of 
the United States nationwide if we used the money from Iraq.
  And let's talk about, for a moment, the cost to the people of Iraq. A 
recent article by the Washington Post has said that Iraq needs 10,000 
megawatts of electricity per day, but they're only producing 4,110. In 
civilian casualties, since April of 2004, the average number of Iraqis 
killed per day has grown from just over 20 to over 100. The total 
number of Iraqi casualties is estimated to be between 70,264 and 
150,000 people.
  I am so pleased and honored to have an opportunity to be on the floor 
leading this Special Order on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus. 
I personally am opposed to any permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq, 
and no control by the U.S. of Iraqi oil. I am opposed to the surge. The 
benchmarks not being met are, the GAO says three of 18 were not met, 
and I am opposed to continued funding for the surge.
  There is no military solution to this war, and only political and 
diplomatic solutions will actually work. We should not arm Iraqi 
security forces when the United States leaves, and we should not leave 
behind weapons that can be used to perpetuate violence. We have a moral 
obligation to help with Iraqi national reconciliation and 
reconstruction.
  I've been a Member of Congress now for 9 years, and I never thought 
when I ran for Congress that I would have the responsibility or 
obligation of attending deployments or attending funerals of my 
constituents, but as a Member of Congress I see it as my obligation. 
I'm so happy that even though I oppose this war, that I have a chance 
to go and meet with many of the Army Reservists and National Guards who 
have been deployed from my congressional district, and go to them with 
their families and say to them that I pray for their safe return, that 
when they return from their mission over in Iraq and Afghanistan, that 
they all come back.
  I remember one of the deployments I took a flag that I had flown over 
the Capitol and gave it to these young men. And I said, I pray that you 
will bring my flag back. I want you to fly it every day, but when you 
come back, bring it back, but bring every member of your group back 
with you. And you know what? They brought me my flag back, and every 
one of the members of that troop came back home. It was a wonderful 
thing. But I've witnessed the death of a 19-year-old, Officer Sloan. 
I've witnessed the death of a 38-year-old. I've witnessed the death of 
so many young men and women as a result of this particular war.
  And I say to the American people who are listening to our Special 
Order this evening, the Congressional Black Caucus believes and argues 
to the American people that you need to step up your protests. If you 
believe that this war is not correct and that our troops need to come 
home, you need to tell somebody. You just can't sit in your chair and 
be an armchair quarterback. You can't sit back and not say anything. 
The people, the Congress, the U.S. House of Representatives and the 
Senate needs to hear from you. The President needs to hear from you to 
let him know that we do not support his continued effort over in Iraq.
  I am pleased, as I said, to be a part of this Special Order. I am 
pleased to represent the finest congressional district in the United 
States of America, the 11th Congressional District of Ohio. And I thank 
all of my constituents for writing, calling, e-mailing, faxing and 
saying to me, Congresswoman, it is your job to stand up and oppose this 
war. And ladies and gentlemen of Cleveland and northeast Ohio, that is 
what I'm doing.
  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on 
behalf of the people of America who want a new way forward in Iraq and 
expect Congress to act accordingly.
  My constituents in North Texas continue to grieve the loss of their 
sons and daughters in Iraq and voice their utmost concerns for our 
troops' safety. They deserve answers from me and from our government 
regarding the consequence of the monetary and casualty cost of the Iraq 
war.
  Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom have affected 
the lives of countless Americans. There are over 3,000 troops from the 
great state of Texas that have been wounded during duty and many 
thousands more from across the United States.
  Despite the struggles our soldiers face both on the field and the 
home front, they are thankful for the support they have been receiving 
from their fellow Americans. They share their concerns none of which 
are for themselves, but of their fellow comrades and families. If given 
a chance, they are willing to return to the field and fight for this 
nation. I stand here today, humbled by these men and women.
  The current administration has recently submitted data reflecting 
that violence in Iraq has decreased, but this data has been skewed.

[[Page 24396]]

The data does not reflect the truth. Violence in Iraq has increased.
  It is our responsibility to care for the best interest of our 
soldiers. It is our responsibility to protect our troops from 
unnecessary harm. Our men and women in uniform are owed a debt of 
gratitude for their courageous efforts. A failure to bring about 
democracy in Iraq rests solely on the shoulders of the President and 
his Administration.
  Mr. Speaker, a great American military cannot be a substitute for a 
weak Iraqi government. Americans want a new direction in Iraq. The best 
way to support our troops serving in Iraq is to bring them home.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, tonight members of the Congressional Black 
Caucus stand with the American people to tell the President once more: 
it is time to end the war in Iraq. As co-chairs of the Out of Iraq 
Caucus, two of my fellow CBC members, Representatives Maxine Waters and 
Barbara Lee, are among the preeminent leaders in Congress in the fight 
to end this misbegotten war. I want to thank them for their leadership 
and for their tireless efforts to bring our troops home.
  Last week's much-anticipated testimony, report and ``new plan'' were 
just more of the same. Once again refusing to heed the facts on the 
ground and the wishes of the American people, President Bush simply 
reiterated his stubborn commitment to continue his failed policy in 
Iraq.
  The ``progress'' reported by the Administration is arguable. But what 
is not subject to debate is this: there is no such thing as ``winning'' 
an occupation. We cannot have a military ``victory'' in Iraq. The only 
way out of this quagmire is a political solution. And after more than 
four years, there has been no political progress in Iraq. The President 
seems to believe that another 10 years of occupation, to the tune of 
trillions of dollars and thousands more American lives, is worth 
wagering on this disastrous conflict. The American people and the 
Congressional Black Caucus disagree.
  The White House and its emissaries continue to urge the Congress and 
the American people to view the disastrous conflict in Iraq through 
rose-colored glasses. But we know better. No independent assessment of 
the situation in Iraq aligns with the picture presented by the White 
House. The Government Accountability Office reports that the Iraqi 
government has failed to meet 15 of the 18 benchmarks for success in 
Iraq as articulated by the President himself. The Jones Commission 
concludes that the Iraqi National Police force that we have spent 
millions of dollars training and equipping is `dysfunctional,' riddled 
with sectarianism, corruption and inefficiency, and should be disbanded 
altogether. The consensus of the nation's intelligence community, in 
the latest National Intelligence Estimate, is that the `level of 
overall violence, including attacks on and casualties among civilians 
remains high' and `Iraq's sectarian groups remain unreconciled.'
  Furthermore, the Administration's use of statistics to reinforce its 
claims of success is problematic. According to a report in the 
Washington Post, U.S. military leaders and the White House are `cherry-
picking' data to bolster their claims that the President's failed war 
strategy is working. In order to support this claim, military and 
Administration calculations are based on a system of categorizing and 
excluding statistics that `selectively ignored negative trends' and 
`puzzled' senior intelligence officials and the nation's chief auditor 
and head of the Government Accountability Office. For example, people 
who were killed by a shot to the back of the head are included as 
`sectarian' casualties, but those killed by a shot to the front of the 
head are not counted because they are assumed to be dead from 
`criminal' activity, according to an intelligence analyst quoted in the 
article.
  In fact, the death toll in Iraq is rising. The Associated Press 
reports that while the President's escalation has succeeded in bringing 
violence in Baghdad down from peak levels, the death toll from 
sectarian attacks around the country is running nearly double the pace 
from a year ago. The AP counted 1,809 civilian deaths in August, making 
it the highest monthly total this year. Though the administration 
continually cites a reduction in violence in Anbar province as evidence 
of the surge's success, in fact, the Marines had already established 
ties to local Sunni leaders long before the `surge' strategy was even 
announced. June, July and August 2007 marked the bloodiest summer so 
far for U.S. troops in Iraq, with 264 soldiers killed.
  This grim picture is further reflected in Iraqi public opinion. A 
BBC/ABC News poll conducted in August concludes that Iraqi opinion is 
at its gloomiest since the polls began in February 2004. According to 
this latest poll, between 67 and 70 percent of Iraqis say the 
escalation has made things worse in the key areas of security, the 
conditions for political dialogue, reconstruction and economic 
development. A majority (57 percent) of Iraqis believe that attacks on 
coalition forces are acceptable, including 93 percent of Sunnis and 50 
percent of Shia.
  The token drawdown of troops proposed by General Petraeus and 
endorsed by the President, in which nearly a year would pass before 
troop strength returns to pre-escalation levels, is neither a political 
compromise nor a ``new plan.'' In fact, this drawdown has been 
scheduled to take place since the beginning of the ``surge,'' because 
to do otherwise would stretch our military beyond the breaking point. 
So, in effect, the President is offering nothing at all in response to 
the demand of the American people and the Congress to bring our troops 
home--except another 10 years of war and occupation.
  The President continues to ask our troops to referee a civil war 
whose outcome depends entirely on the actions of politicians in 
Baghdad. As General Petraeus himself has pointed out, the conflict in 
Iraq cannot be solved militarily; only a political settlement by Iraq's 
leaders can bring this conflict to an end. Yet, despite the fact that 
Iraqi politicians have made virtually no progress toward this goal in 
four years, the President insists on a continuing American military 
involvement, with no end in sight. The American people understand that 
this policy has failed, and this Congress will continue to fight to 
bring an end to this disaster and to bring our troops home.
  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with 
Representative Jones and my other colleagues in the Congressional Black 
Caucus, in calling for a comprehensive revaluation of our strategies in 
Iraq. I consider the situation in Iraq to be one of Congress's highest 
priorities and there is an urgent need to establish a comprehensive and 
realistic exit strategy. We need to offer hope to the families 
anxiously waiting for news of their loved ones and the men and women 
who risk their lives everyday.
  Next month will be the 40th anniversary of one of the largest 
protests against the Vietnam War. Over a hundred thousand people 
marched on Washington that day, and it worries me that the current 
Administration seems to have learned little from history. A similar 
discontent can be seen on the streets of America today, as more and 
more polls demonstrate dwindling public support for this war.
  I have always maintained the stance that an adequate case for war was 
never made and that military intervention should only have been used if 
all other routes failed. From the beginning, I offered an alternative 
resolution to war. Although we can never know what the outcome of 
alternatives may have been, we have the chance now to change strategy 
and make decisive steps to developing a lasting solution.
  Mr. Speaker, an increase in troop numbers is not the answer. This 
war, commenced in haste and founded on deception, will never provide 
the solutions Iraq needs to establish a strong and lasting democracy. 
We can't secure victory through a war of attrition, and neither can we 
protect our sons and daughters who stand in harm's way in a war that 
was never necessary.
  It is true that we cannot abandon the Iraqi people. But more 
productive ways to help them can be found. In the current international 
climate, we cannot engage in meaningful dialogue on the Iraqi situation 
while the occupation continues. I believe we must allow the U.N. to 
play a greater role in the reconstruction of Iraq, advancing human 
rights and justice within the framework of international law. In my 
work in this great body, I consistently seek to protect the United 
States and its people above all else. However, currently there is no 
absolute proof of an imminent threat. In fact our vulnerability to 
international terrorism only rises every day our troops stay in Iraq.
  Mr. Speaker, I am dedicated to providing funding to protect our 
troops, but I refuse to support the failed foreign policies of the Bush 
administration, nor any legislation that will lead to more unnecessary 
deaths. The greatest thing we can do for our brave men and women in the 
Armed Forces is to take them out of harm's way by developing a clear, 
decisive exit strategy.

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