Date: 2007-07-12
Speaker: PATRICK J. MURPHY (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Penn

sylvania. Mr. Speaker. for the sixth time. I rise calling for a change of direction in Iraq. For the sixth time. I call on the President to stop sending our brave men and women to referee a religious civil war. For the sixth time I call. on this administration to focus our efforts in fighting the central front on the war on terror by killing.Osama bin Laden and destroying al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Mr. Speaker. last week countless folks back in Pennsylvania stopped me and asked. Arent you frustrated by this President who refuses to listen to Congress and the American people? I told them. I am frustrated that our President refuses to follow the advice of military experts and the will of the American people. I am frustrated because my fellow paratroopers are still fighting and dying in the 138degree heat of a Baghdad summer. I told them that I will refuse to stop fighting for the best policy for our troops and our families back here at home. Mr. Speaker. leaving our troops in the middle of a religious civil war isnt resolute. Its reckless. No question that change is slow. but take heart. America. Change is coming. Congress is not going to stop. President Bush. the legislative branch of government is back and we are not going to go away. We will change the course in Iraq and fight for a smarter global war on terror. Some Republicans have questioned the patriotism of my fellow Democrats. Even former soldiers here in the House floor. But those types of Republicans are the exception and not the rule. In my short time in Congress. I have learned that most of my colleagues across the aisle are good. decent. and patriotic Americans. Mr. Speaker. I know how much pressure my friends across the aisle are under from the President. from their party leaders to just stay the course. But I ask you as a soldier. as a father.- and as a colleague to acknowledge what the status quo entails. That means additional warnings. walking to our desks here in the Halls of Congress. holding our breath and hoping we dont get word of another fallen soldier. Mr. Speaker. I implore my Republican colleagues who know in their .heart that we need a change. I implore you to think about how many more of these calls you have to make. how many more calls to wives. to fathers. to mothers we all will be forced to make if we dont take action. I have heard the other side say 4 more months. This President has had his 4 months. He has had his 4 years and 4 months. In 2004. the President said we are turning the corner. In 2005. the Vice President said the insurgency was in its last throes. In 2006. that was the year in transition. And now in 2007. the President says just be patient. In the last month alone in Bucks County. we have buried four of our finest sons. Four names have been added to the memorial board outside my office. I. for one. dont want to add any more names. My Republican colleagues. you have the power today to stop these tragic phone calls. to stop adding faces and names to our memorials. Lets change the direction in Iraq and get back to fighting a smarter war on terror together. not as Democrats and Republicans. but as Americans.