Date: 2007-02-16
Speaker: AL GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I love America. America means something to me. No one loves the Constitution more than I. No one believes in the Declaration of Independence more than I. No one respects the flag and the Pledge of Allegiance more than I. No one appreciates the American soldier more than I. So I stand here today in the well of the United States House of Representatives as a proud American who understands that it is not the Constitution that gives us or protects government of the people. by the people. for the people. It is not the Declaration of Independence that preserves the concept of all persons being created equal. It is the soldier. It is not the Pledge of Allegiance that preserves liberty and justice for all. It is the soldier. It is the soldier who shields those who would make real .the great American ideals. Regardless as to how we feel about the war. we should all thank God for the American soldier. Mr. Speaker. our soldiers have done their job. More than 84.000 National Guard and Reservists have been deployed more than once since 2001. More than 170.000 soldiers in the Army have served more than one tour of duty. More than 23.000 soldiers have been wounded. and more than 2.200 of these from Texas were from Texas alone. More than 3.100 soldiers have died. including more than 200 from Texas. Our soldiers have liberated Iraq frfom a ruthless. brutal dictator. Our soldiers have answered the clarion call for help for which too many will never come home for the holidays and far too many will never see home again. So for this I say. God bless the American soldiers. their friends. their families. and their loved ones. Mr. Speaker. the American people have been that friend. indeed. in Iraqs time of need. In addition to blood. sweat and tears. the American people have spent more than $267 million. not per year. not per month not per week. but more than $267 million per day on this war. Mr. Speaker. with this money. according to CNN and the National Priorities Project. we could have hired 6.4 million public school teachers. We could have built 3.3 million public housing units. We could have insured 220 million children for 1 year. On a more lofty level. America has helped the Iraqi people develop a constitution. We have helped the Iraqi people establish democratic elections. We have helped the Iraqis reconstitute their military and overhaul their constabulary. Mr. Speaker. after all that we have done. more than 23.000 wounded. After all that we have done. 3.100 are dead. After all that we have done. more than $267 million per day. After all that we have done. whenever we leave. it will not be cut and run. We have helped the Iraqi people to have the opportunity to embrace freedom and democracy. It is now time for the Iraqi people to seize upon this. precious. priceless opportunity and have a free and independent Iraq. something that all the money in the world cannot buy and not even the most powerful military in the universe can impose. Mr. Speaker. we cannot want liberty and justice for all Iraqis more than all Iraqis want liberty and justice for themselves. If the Iraqis want government of the people. by the people. for the people. then their soldiers. not ours. must provide it. We can stay in Iraq forever and never have a free and independent Iraq. not as long as the Iraqi people engage in an uncivil war with each other. You can debate whether it is a civil war or not. but there is no debating that it is an uncivil war that they are having with each other. Mr. Speaker. because I support our toldiers and oppose the Presidents policies. I will vote for the resolution.