December 10, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H10957 

crushing al Qaeda in al Anbar.’’ So we 

won. You won. Everybody that wears 

the uniform of the United States, 

whether you carried a base plate for 

mortars, drove a truck in those difficult convoy runs, were a nurse in one 

of the many medical clinics and facilities we had, if you were a medic in 

some of the difficult battles, maybe 

you were a support troop, maybe you 

flew aircraft or a crew in aircraft, 

whether it was a C–130 or a tactical 

fighter, what you did was of enormous 

value to the United States of America. 

You know, I’m reminded of great stories that have emanated from Iraq. I’m 

reminded of the battle of Fallujah 

when General John Kelley was the assistant division commander, and at the 

same time his son, Robert, was a private first class in a rifle squad fighting 

door-to-door at close range. And when 

it was over, Robert was the only one in 

his platoon who had not been wounded. 

I’m reminded of Jason Fry, Captain 

Jason Fry who, going up through the 

Nassiriyah choke-point was hit by an 

RPG that took off his right arm; and 

when the medics were working on him 

and one of them asked, ‘‘Are you right 

handed or left handed,’’ he said, ‘‘I’m 

left handed now. You tell my men I’m 

okay.’’ That was the spirit of the 

American service personnel who served 

in Iraq. 

And remember when they went into 

Iraq, we had intelligence to the effect 

that they would use poison gas against 

our troops because we’d seen them use 

poison gas against their own people 

killing thousands of them. And yet the 

American service personnel persevered 

and moved ahead into that storm of 

unknown quality. 

And because of them, we have won in 

Iraq. Yes, we have won in Iraq. And 

don’t let any left-wing journalist come 

up and tell you that we haven’t won. 

It’s true that there’s no surrender on 

the Battleship Missouri. There’s not 

going to be one in this war against terror. But if you look at the military 

missions that we have—and it’s also 

true we haven’t turned Iraq into Iowa. 

That was never the mission. And if 

somebody says the other guys won, you 

tell them to produce Saddam Hussein. 

But what we have done, we’ve taken 

out the dictator and his forces, we’ve 

installed an elected government, and 

we’ve now installed a security apparatus, including an army built from 

scratch by the Americans capable of 

protecting that government. Nobody is 

guaranteed freedom and perpetuity, including this country. 

But the American military mission 

in Iraq has been accomplished. You 

brought us victory. You, the more than 

1 million Americans who served in uniform in that theater. And for that, Mr. 

Speaker, I think the American people 

owe a huge ‘‘thank you’’ to those great 

men and women, to their families who 

endured those separations, for all of 

the difficult burdens that they’ve carried ever since March of 2003 when we 

took that first unit across the line into 

that country known as Iraq. 

Thank you to everyone who wears 

the uniform in that operation. Thank 

you for winning. 

Mr. Speaker, I would yield back the 

balance of my time. 

f 

CORRECTION TO THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD OF THURSDAY, 

OCTOBER 2, 2008 AT PAGE H10678 

APPOINTMENT AS MEMBERS TO 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 491 of the Higher Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1098), amended by 

section 494C of the Higher Education 

Opportunity Act (P.L. 110–315), and the 

order of the House of January 4, 2007, 

the Chair announces the Speaker’s appointment of the following Member on 

the part of the House to the Advisory 

Committee on Student Financial Assistance for a term of 4 years: 

Upon the recommendation of the Majority Leader: 

Ms. Helen Benjamin, Vallejo, California 

Upon the recommendation of the Minority Leader: 

Mr. Anthony Guida, Pittsburgh, 

Pennsylvania 

f 

CORRECTION TO THE CONGRESSIONAL RECORD OF TUESDAY, 

DECEMBER 9, 2008, AT PAGE 

H10860 

APPOINTMENTS TO CONGRESSIONAL OVERSIGHT PANEL 

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 125(c)(1) of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 

2008 (P.L. 110–343), and the order of the 

House of January 4, 2008, the Chair announces the November 14, 2008, joint 

appointment by the Speaker and the 

Majority Leader of the Senate and appointment by the Speaker on the part 

of the House to the Congressional Oversight Panel: 

Joint appointment: 

Mr. Damon Silvers, Maryland 

Speaker’s appointment: 

Mr. Richard H. Neiman, New York 

LEAVE OF ABSENCE 

By unanimous consent, leave of absence was granted to: 

Mr. ELLISON (at the request of Mr. 

HOYER) for today. 

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas 

(at the request of Mr. HOYER) for today 

on account of medical reasons. 

f 

SPECIAL ORDERS GRANTED 

By unanimous consent, permission to 

address the House, following the legislative program and any special orders 

heretofore entered, was granted to: 

(The following Members (at the request of Mr. CUMMINGS) to revise and 

extend their remarks and include extraneous material:) 

Mr. CUMMINGS, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. PALLONE, for 5 minutes, today. 

Ms. LEE, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. MCGOVERN, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. LAMPSON, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. SHERMAN, for 5 minutes, today. 

Ms. KAPTUR, for 5 minutes, today. 

(The following Members (at the request of Mr. POE) to revise and extend 

their remarks and include extraneous 

material:) 

Mr. BURTON of Indiana, for 5 minutes, 

today, December 11 and 12. 

Mr. POE, for 5 minutes, today, December 11 and 12. 

Mr. WOLF, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. JONES, for 5 minutes, today, December 11 and 12. 

Mr. PAUL, for 5 minutes, today and 

December 11. 

Mr. DREIER, for 5 minutes, today. 

Mr. HUNTER

f 

, for 5 minutes, today. 

SENATE BILL REFERRED 

A bill of the Senate of the following 

title was taken from the Speaker’s 

table and, under the rule, referred as 

follows: 

S. 3731. An act to amend the Emergency 

Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (division 

A of Public Law 110–343) to provide the Special Inspector General with additional authorities and responsibilities, and for other 

purposes; to the Committee on Financial 

Services. 

f 

ADJOURNMENT 

Mr. WELCH of Vermont. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to House Concurrent Resolution 440, 110th Congress, I move that 

the House do now adjourn. 

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 10 o’clock and 51 minutes 

p.m.), the House adjourned until Saturh 

day, January 3, 2009, at 11 a.m. 

EXPENDITURE REPORTS CONCERNING OFFICIAL FOREIGN TRAVEL 

Reports concerning the foreign currencies and U.S. dollars utilized for speaker-authorized official travel during the 

first, second and third quarters of 2008, pursuant to Public Law 95–384 are as follows: