As a private citizen, I opposed the preemptive invasion of Iraq.  As a candidate, I pledged to help end the war.  And, as a Member of Congress, I have worked to bring the war to a responsible end.  Last week, the House of Representatives considered a funding bill for the war in Iraq that did not require President Bush to change his policy and begin a responsible and timely withdrawal.  In my opinion, this bill did little to change America's course in Iraq, thus I voted against it.

 

After four years of repeated failure and little accountability, the new Congress has worked to repair the damage done to our military and put more emphasis on diplomacy and multilateralism in our foreign policy.  I have always had a guiding principle to determine my vote-any legislation I support must have a responsible, specific timeline to redeploy U.S. troops out of Iraq.  Further, the bill had to contain benchmarks that would hold the Iraqi government accountable.

 

Following this principle, I have voted four times in five months to provide nearly $100 billion for military spending in Iraq and Afghanistan, including extra money to improve our fight against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan.  These bills also required the Iraqi Parliament to meet specific benchmarks to reign in their militias and limit sectarian violence.  They required the President to follow the troop readiness standards established by the Pentagon and a complete redeployment of U.S. troops from Iraq by August 2008.

 

Unfortunately, the President vetoed the first bill the Congress sent him and threatened to veto the second.

 

The President blindly insists America continue down the same path in Iraq.  His path has left our troops in the middle of Iraq's civil war, weakened U.S. national security, and is devastating our guard, our reserve, and our military's ability to fight.  The President refuses to listen to his own State Department's report that shows that Al Qaeda is reemerging as a dominant force in Afghanistan and that Iraq is quickly becoming a haven for terrorists.

 

Last week, after the President repeatedly blocked funding to troops in the field, Congress passed a compromise bill that provides four months of funding for the war in Iraq.  This bill places no accountability on the President and requires no change of course.  Because it requires our troops to continue fighting while the Iraqi Parliament goes on summer vacation, I voted against it.

 

Our men and women in uniform have performed bravely and have worked to achieve every mission their leadership has given them.  It is time our troops had leadership worthy of their service and sacrifice - leadership that will give them achievable missions that improve the security of the American people.

 

During the coming months, Congress will consider several more pieces of legislation regarding Iraq.  I will continue to push for a responsible change in policy that provides the leadership our military so rightly deserves.