[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 7274]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 REPUBLICANS SEEM CONTENT TO GIVE THE PRESIDENT ANOTHER BLANK CHECK ON 
                                  IRAQ

  (Mr. SIRES asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. SIRES. Madam Speaker, this week the war in Iraq enters its fifth 
year. Today I doubt anyone in this Chamber will stand up and say that 
it has gone as expected.
  Our troops have served this Nation admirably, but the Bush war 
cabinet failed to properly plan for a war in Iraq. As a result, even 
the Pentagon now admits what many of us have been saying for months: A 
civil war is being fought in Iraq.
  This week, we have an opportunity to send the President a message 
that this war is not going to go on indefinitely. Even in the face of 
increased violence in Iraq and the lack of real progress towards a 
political solution, congressional Republicans continue to pledge to 
stay the course.
  Madam Speaker, the days of rubber-stamping the President's requests 
are over. The American people want Iraq to take responsibility for its 
own nation. The only way that is going to happen is if the Iraqi 
Government knows we are not going to be there indefinitely.

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