[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12810-12811]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




     AN INFORMED CITIZENRY IS THE CORNERSTONE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

  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, an informed citizenry is one of the 
cornerstones of our American democracy. In

[[Page 12811]]

order to make the right decisions about our country's policies, 
Americans must know the facts. That is why every member of the 
administration and every Member of Congress has the duty to be honest 
and open with all of us. This is especially true when it comes to 
decisions about war and about peace, because the lives of our soldiers 
are actually on the line.
  But recent events have reminded us that when it comes to Iraq, we 
have not always had the information that we need. Earlier this month, 
the Senate Intelligence Committee issued a bipartisan report on Iraq 
that actually proved this. It showed that before the invasion began, 
the American people were told that there was a strong connection 
between Iraq and terrorist groups like al Qaeda. But the committee 
found that there was no conclusive intelligence to support such a 
claim.
  Also, the American people have recently had the chance to read the 
book by a former White House press secretary who acknowledges that 
propaganda was used to sell the American people on supporting the 
invasion of Iraq.

                              {time}  1800

  And this House, this House of Representatives, is pretty familiar 
with the Pentagon's spin operation to get retired military officers to 
give us a rose-colored view about the situation in Iraq. The House has 
voted to stop the Pentagon from continuing such a program, and the 
Pentagon is expected to respect that ban.
  Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better. They need to have a 
true and accurate picture about what is currently happening in Iraq. 
That's why every Member of this House should be demanding that the 
administration give Congress the facts about its current status-of-
forces negotiations with the Iraqi Government. I have repeatedly 
demanded that the administration share this information with Congress, 
including the establishment of permanent bases, because there was an 
alarming report in the press that the United States may actually be 
planning nearly 60 permanent bases in Iraq, this happening after the 
House has voted multiple times to prohibit permanent bases in Iraq.
  Over the weekend, senior Iraqi leaders called for a complete exit of 
all U.S. troops, and they called for this at the expiration of the 
current U.N. mandate which comes this fall. Imagine their opinion of 
the United States' permanent bases in their country. Sixty permanent 
bases are absolutely unacceptable. One permanent base is unacceptable.
  This House has voted many times, as I said, against the establishment 
of permanent bases, and the administration should not try to get around 
that by making fine, legalistic points about what constitutes a 
``permanent base.'' In fact, we must apply the duck test. If it looks 
like a permanent base, if it walks like a permanent base, it is a 
permanent base.
  Because the economy has replaced Iraq as the top news story of the 
day, some may be lured into thinking that nothing very important is 
happening in Iraq these days. Well, one important statistic is, if it 
has not happened today, we are about to report 5,000 of our troops 
dead, but nothing could be further from the truth about not being 
important.
  While we aren't paying attention, the administration is negotiating 
status-of-forces negotiations that could make our country a foreign 
occupying power in the Middle East for years or for even decades to 
come. What a grave mistake that would be keeping our troops in harm's 
way and continuing the best recruiting tool that the terrorists could 
ask for.
  Instead of planning for a permanent occupation, the United States 
needs to follow a very different path. We should redeploy our troops 
and military contracts. We should give the Iraqi people back their 
sovereignty. We should help them rebuild their shattered country. We 
should work with the international community to bring peace and 
stability to the region.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress must demand to know what is being negotiated in 
the name of the American people. What deals are being cut? What is 
going on behind closed doors? What exactly is the administration 
demanding and why? It is time for the American people to have the 
facts, and it is time to safely and responsibly bring our troops and 
independent contractors home and to give Iraq back to the Iraqi people.

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