Date: 2007-07-12
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Speaker. I thank the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for allowing me to speak. Before I get into my prepared remarks. part of the resolution. if my colleagues would go to page 5 of the resolution. says as part of the justification required. the President shall. at a -minimum. address whether it is necessary for the Armed Forces to carry out the following missions: protecting U.S. diplomatic facilities and U.S. citizens. including Armed Forces who are engaged in carrying out other missions. serving in roles consistent with customary diplomatic positions. but also. engaging in actions to disrupt and eliminate al Qaeda and its affiliated organizations in Iraq. So while I sat here on the floor listened and heard. "we are bailing out of attacking al Qaeda." we are not doing that. This resolution says we will still be there. The President has to certify. though. that is what we are doing. We are not shoring up the Iraqi Government. we are fighting al Qaeda. who brought us September 11. So anybody who says we are leaving is just wrong. Mr. Speaker. I rise in support of this resolution and this legislation. and thank Chairman SKELTON for his work on the bill. Like Chairman SKELTON. I want to thank our soldiers. sailors. airmen and Marines and their families who are serving our country. I have stated before. we must let the Iraqi Government know our commitment is not openended. I have not supported efforts for immediate withdrawal. but this bill. just like our first supplemental sent to the President. which he vetoed. lets the Iraqi Government know that they need to make some tough choices to stabilize their country within the next several months. It also gives our administration time to have a comprehensive strategy in Iraq. and allows the troops to remain to protect our diplomatic facilities and fight al Qaeda. and training and equipping the Iraqi security forces. As this legislation states. we give the President the authority to use the Armed Forces to defend the national security of the United States against the continuing. threat posed by the Iraqi government at that time. But we won that battle. The government was removed. The power. and its leader indicted. tried and convicted. and executed by the newly elected. nowdemocratic government of Iraq. This bill will bring our troops home by April 1 of next yearthat will be more than 5 years since the war began. U.S. taxpayers have spent billions of dollars. and thousands of troops have given their lives to bring security and stability to Iraq. While the current Iraqi government has been organizing and security forces have been training. our forces have been responsible for every facet of security in Iraq. Our troops defeated Saddams Army. worked to control the country. policed Iraqs streets. protected the transitional and elected governments. and trained Iraq security forces. Our military has given the Iraqi government. the Iraqi security forces. and the Iraqi people every opportunity.to have a stable. democratic country. It is time to let the Iraqi people know that 5 years is long enoughthey must take responsibility for the future of their country. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bill to bring our troops home in a safe. responsible timeframe.