[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 1596]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      THE CASE FOR BIPARTISANSHIP

  (Mr. YARMUTH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. YARMUTH. Mr. Speaker, last week this House came together in a 
bipartisan fashion to address the economic uncertainty that many of our 
citizens are facing. President Bush worked with both Democratic and 
Republican leaders of the House to develop an economic stimulus package 
that is timely, targeted, and temporary. That plan, which was passed 
here in the House last week, will help jump-start our economy by 
putting tax rebates in the hands of 117 million hardworking middle- and 
lower-income workers.
  We should be proud of the bipartisanship that made this compromise 
package possible. I would hope that we could bring that same 
bipartisanship to bear on the continuing war in Iraq.
  Last month, the Iraqi defense minister said that his country will not 
be able to take full control of its security until 2012 and will not be 
able to defend its borders from outside threats until at least 2018. 
Democrats do not believe that American troops should be on the ground 
in Iraq for another decade and neither do the American people. The 
status quo cannot continue.
  I would hope that we could continue to work together to bring this 
war to an end.

                          ____________________