[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11897]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      WE ARE AT A CROSSROADS AGAIN

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, we are at a crossroads 
again. The legislation that we worked so meticulously on to ensure the 
funding of our troops just about a week ago saw the veto pen of the 
White House without consideration of the failed mission that Iraq has 
become.
  I did not say military operations because I believe that our soldiers 
are valiant, and they have achieved the success that we've asked them 
to achieve. That is why I went to the Rules Committee today to ask for 
the consideration that the resolution in the fall of 2002 should 
expire. In fact, it has expired, because we have shown there is no 
nexus or was no nexus between Saddam Hussein and terrorism. There were 
no weapons of mass destruction; and, of course, we know that Saddam 
Hussein is no longer in power.
  Unfortunately, our President has expanded the resolution, building on 
it, surging troops, and the great loss of life has harmed the United 
States.
  There's been no diplomacy, there's no reconstruction, and the 
government of Iraq is weak. I hope that when we debate this question 
tomorrow that we will recognize that the best solution is a diplomatic, 
a political and social solution that requires a reconstruction, if you 
will, of Iraq, the inclusion of the allies surrounding the region, the 
engagement with Syria and Jordan and Saudi Arabia, working with NATO. 
But, more importantly, it requires that we redeploy out of Iraq; and I 
hope we will consider at some point the idea of the resolution 
expiring.
  It is time to save lives, those of our soldiers, and to bring them 
home in dignity.

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