[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 16953-16954]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1050
         A LEGACY OF WORKING FOR PEACE AND A MORE PERFECT WORLD

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Woolsey) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, throughout my career in public life, and 
even before, nothing has motivated me more than a desire to end wars 
and violent conflicts. When I was a small girl saying bedtime prayers 
or making a birthday wish when blowing out the candles, I always asked 
for world peace. So it's no surprise that over a decade ago, I opposed 
the Iraq war before it even started. It was appalling that we would 
invade a nation that hadn't provoked us, had nothing to do with 9/11, 
and did not have weapons of mass destruction. It was a lonely fight at 
that time. But I didn't do it to be loved. It was a matter of 
principle.
  Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters, and I formed The Triad--Woolsey, Waters, 
and Lee--to organize our opposition. We held forums, we developed an 
Out of Iraq Caucus, we traveled around the country, and in January 
2005, I offered

[[Page 16954]]

the first amendment here on the House floor calling for our troops to 
be brought home. Some in my own party thought that it was a mistake, 
that we wouldn't get any votes--or enough votes--and that we would be 
embarrassed. Well, I told them that even if I were the only one voting 
to bring our troops home, I would not be embarrassed.
  Well, as it happened, we got 128 bipartisan votes that very first 
time. So you see, Mr. Speaker, when you lead, people follow. Because of 
a handful of progressive leaders and progressives in our country that 
were vocal and fearless, eventually public opinion turned. It turned 
against the Iraq war and turned towards peace. If we and other 
outspoken advocates hadn't ignored conventional wisdom and hadn't 
pressed for peace, the war in Iraq could still be going on today.
  In April, Mr. Speaker, of 2004, I started speaking from this very 
spot on the House floor about my strong anti-Iraq war convictions. 
Eventually, these speeches focused on Afghanistan, where we've now been 
waging war for more than 11 years, despite more than 2,000 Americans 
dead and nearly $600 billion wasted and even though we are undermining 
our own interests in failing to bring security and stability to 
Afghanistan.
  Over the last 8-plus years, I've spoken here nearly every day that I 
could to drive home what a moral disaster and strategic failure these 
wars have been. When constituents and others call or come up to me or 
write and thank me, I say, But we're still there. I don't deserve 
thanks until all of our troops are home.
  You know, Mr. Speaker, because you've been here for many of them, 
that my speeches haven't just been about bringing our troops home. 
They've offered a new vision for global engagement. From here I've 
outlined my SMART Security platform, which calls for development and 
diplomacy instead of invasions and occupations; civilian surges instead 
of military surges. SMART Security means helping other nations educate 
their children, care for their sick, and strengthen their democratic 
institutions. SMART Security says we can make America safe by building 
international good will and by empowering people with humanitarian 
assistance instead of sending troops or launching drone attacks. It's 
the right thing to do. It's the smart thing to do. And it costs pennies 
on the dollar compared to military force.
  So, Mr. Speaker, today I'm delivering that message for the 444th and 
final time on the House floor to speak on a 5-minute Special Order. 
This is the last of my Special Order speeches on war and peace and 
SMART Security. I'm retiring from Congress at the end of this year, and 
I believe part of my legacy will be that I worked diligently for peace 
and a safer world.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to acknowledge that sometimes I've 
been accused of wanting a ``perfect world.'' But I consider that a 
compliment. Our Founders strove to form a ``more perfect Union.'' Why 
shouldn't we aim for a perfect world? You see, I'm absolutely certain 
that if we don't work toward a perfect world, we won't ever come close 
to providing a safe, healthy, and secure world for our grandchildren 
and their grandchildren.
  I thank my wonderful staff who have helped me over the last 20 years 
to work for a perfect world, which means peace, health, and security 
for all.

                          ____________________