[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4733]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              MESSAGE TO THE PRESIDENT: END THE OCCUPATION

  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, last week British Prime Minister Tony Blair 
announced that more than 1,600 British soldiers would be sent home from 
Iraq. By recalling troops from Iraq, the British government has sent a 
very clear message that increasing the number of troops is not the 
right strategy. In fact, the British government has come to the same 
conclusion that many Americans have reached almost 4 years ago. We 
should be ending the military occupation of Iraq, not expanding it. We 
should be supporting the men and women who have served bravely in Iraq 
by sending them home, not sending them back for their fourth or their 
fifth tour of duty after only a very few months of spending time with 
their families.
  The British government's decision to scale back its military 
commitment in Iraq should have been another important wake up call to 
President Bush. However, the President has continued his course to go 
it alone, regardless of the staggering costs to our Nation.
  President Bush has drained America's reservoir of goodwill by 
ignoring the facts on the ground, the advice of his generals, and the 
will of the American public. By stubbornly pursuing the same misguided 
policies over and over again, he has left it to Congress to stop him.
  Two weeks ago, the House took an important first step by 
overwhelmingly passing a bipartisan resolution condemning the 
President's decision to send more than 20,000 additional American 
soldiers to the front lines. I commend the Democratic leadership, and I 
commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for having the courage 
to stand up to the President and to oppose his escalation. This vote, 
however, is only the first step.
  Now that the House has stood up to disagree with the President, we 
must use this consensus to take on the urgent job of bringing our 
troops safely home.
  As a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and a co founder of the 
Out of Iraq Caucus, I have introduced a comprehensive and detailed plan 
to end the occupation while ensuring that we achieve security and 
stability in Iraq. My bill, H.R. 508, the Bring the Troops Home and 
Iraq Sovereignty Restoration Act, now has 47 cosponsors.
  H.R. 508 will provide for a fully funded withdrawal of U.S. troops 
and contractors from Iraq within a 6-month period. During the time of 
that 6-month passage, our troops will return home to receive the full 
health care benefits they deserve because we owe them, we owe them no 
less for their sacrifices. And while they are coming home, we will be 
putting those laws into place, ensuring they get their benefits.
  Also during that 6-month withdrawal period, our government will 
accelerate the training and equipping of Iraqi security forces, and if 
requested by the Iraqi government, we will work with the international 
community to provide a stabilization force to enhance Iraq's security.
  Additionally, my bill would prohibit the establishment of permanent 
U.S. bases in Iraq, and we would return control of Iraq's oil resources 
to the Iraqi people. The only way to restore stability to Iraq is to 
return the country to the Iraqis, and we must work with our allies to 
achieve this. But when the Bush administration, in spite of all the 
advice to the contrary, decides to escalate the occupation, and the 
British government takes the sensible path of withdrawal, they both 
can't be right.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot afford to wait for the President to realize 
his mistake. Too many brave men and brave women have died and suffered 
to continue this occupation. We must stand up, we must demand, we must 
bring our troops home. That is how we can protect our troops.

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