Congressional Record United States Th of America PROCEEDINGS and DEBATES of the 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION
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E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 110 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION Vol. 153 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2007 No. 47 House of Representatives The House met at 12:30 p.m. and was been over the past 1,460 days. More rate with the threat it articulated, and called to order by the Speaker pro tem- than 3,200 American soldiers have given now it asks for patience while a fourth pore (Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida). the ultimate measure of sacrifice, and troop escalation seeks to accomplish f more than 24,000 have been injured. The what three others could not. It pro- American taxpayers have spent more foundly miscalculated the cost of this DESIGNATION OF SPEAKER PRO than $400 billion on this war, and the war. It went to war without a plan for TEMPORE President asked for an additional $245 postwar stabilization and security. And The SPEAKER pro tempore laid be- billion, including a $100 billion wartime perhaps most egregiously, the adminis- fore the House the following commu- supplemental spending bill that will be tration sent our troops into battle nication from the Speaker: considered on the floor later this week. without proper equipment. WASHINGTON, DC, And thousands of Iraqis have been Madam Speaker, given the repeated March 19, 2007. killed, while literally millions have miscalculations by the administration I hereby appoint the Honorable CORRINE fled to neighboring countries, trig- over the last 4 years, and given the sit- BROWN to act as Speaker pro tempore on this gering a refugee crisis. uation on the ground in Iraq, today it day. Yet despite the sacrifice and hard- is past time, way past time for the NANCY PELOSI, ship, how much progress has been United States Congress, the people’s Speaker of the House of Representatives. made? Just last week, the Department representatives, to insist on account- f of Defense reported record levels of vio- ability and a new direction in Iraq. As one who supported the authority MORNING HOUR DEBATES lence and hardening sectarian violence in the fourth quarter of 2006, stating, of the President of the United States to The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursu- ‘‘Some elements of the situation in remove Saddam Hussein, and in listen- ant to the order of the House of Janu- Iraq are properly descriptive of a civil ing to the President’s State of the ary 4, 2007, the Chair will now recog- war.’’ Union when he said not one of us who nize Members from lists submitted by Administration officials themselves voted voted for failure, that was accu- the majority and minority leaders for admitted last week that political goals rate. I certainly did not vote for fail- morning hour debates. The Chair will that were to have been met by the ure. And I want success and seek suc- alternate recognition between the par- Iraqi government this month will take cess, but the administration’s policies ties, with each party limited to not to significantly longer to achieve, said have not garnered success. Therefore, exceed 30 minutes, and each Member, the administration. The National Intel- more blank checks and questioning except the majority leader, the minor- ligence Estimate tells us the war has obeisance by this Congress would con- ity leader, or the minority whip, lim- increased the global terror threat rath- stitute, in my opinion, a dereliction of ited to not to exceed 5 minutes. er than reduce it. And General our responsibility and our constitu- The Chair recognizes the gentleman Schoomaker, the Army Chief of Staff, tional duty. Thus, this Congress, for from Maryland, the majority leader, has issued strong warnings about the the first time in 4 years, will have the Mr. STENY HOYER. effect of this war on America’s overall opportunity this week to change Amer- f military readiness and our ability to ica’s course in Iraq and to insist that respond to emerging strategic threats. the Iraqis take control of their own AFTER FOUR YEARS, NO MORE Indeed, IKE SKELTON of Missouri, the destiny. BLANK CHECKS chairman of the Armed Services Com- The U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Mr. HOYER. Madam Speaker, 4 years mittee, said that the situation with re- Health and Iraq Accountability Act of- ago tonight, our Commander in Chief, spect to America’s readiness of its fers the best way forward in Iraq. I President Bush, gave the orders that Armed Forces is grave and troubling. urge Members of both sides of the aisle instigated Operation Iraqi Freedom. Meanwhile, the American people have to support it. And I would call the at- Whether they supported the Presi- wearied of administration claims that tention to many of our Members to a dent’s decision or not, all, and I empha- are divorced from reality. ‘‘Mission ac- vote in June of 1997, where so many size ‘‘all’’ patriotic Americans prayed complished’’ and ‘‘the insurgency is in Members on the Republican side of the for our success as well as the safe re- its last throes’’ are just two of the as- aisle voted to set a timetable, set a turn of our brave service men and sertions that have proved, sadly, very date certain for withdrawal or exit women. And 4 years later, we still do. badly mistaken. strategy in amendments sponsored by However, today our success in Iraq is From the outset, the administration Mr. BUYER of Indiana in which all the as elusive as it ever was and has ever refused to commit a force commensu- present leaders of the Republican b This symbol represents the time of day during the House proceedings, e.g., b 1407 is 2:07 p.m. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. H2625 . VerDate Aug 31 2005 03:01 Mar 20, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 7634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A19MR7.000 H19MRPT1 jcorcoran on PROD1PC62 with HOUSE H2626 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE March 19, 2007 Party who were in the Congress at that in the war on terror. To them I say PRAYER time voted for. that this legislation goes above and be- The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. In short, the legislation that will yond the President’s funding request, Coughlin, offered the following prayer: come before us is saying much the supporting our troops deployed at the Lord of goodness and harbinger of same, but after 4 years of a lack of suc- tip of the spear, and reaffirming our peace, be with the Congress of the cess, why do I say a lack of success? commitment to fighting and defeating United States this week. Guide deci- Secretary Gates in his confirmation al Qaeda. And there certainly are those sions that will resist evil, establish hearing said that we are not winning in who will argue that this bill doesn’t go good order, and strengthen relation- Iraq. That was just a few months ago, far enough, that even one more day of ships between people of good will. May and he was right. Again, I would reit- fighting is one too many. To them I the impulse toward reconciliation em- erate in my opinion because we have say respectfully that this legislation power Members that they may lead never, not at the outset, not over the for the first time sets a date for the re- this Nation to transform unjust struc- last 4 years has this administration de- sponsible redeployment of American tures and restore respect for the dig- ployed assets sufficient to meet the troops from Iraq. It is not tomorrow, it challenge. This legislation is designed is not the day after, but it is a date, a nity of all men and women created in to protect our troops, requiring troop date that provides the Iraqis with the Your likeness. deployment to adhere to the Defense time they need to ready themselves for Lord, through rational argument, Department’s current standards for the responsibility they must assume. may our government and others across training, not new standards, not new Madam Speaker, the Iraq war is al- the globe reawaken the spiritual en- timelines, not new requirements, but ready longer than our participation in ergy in people that is needed to become the Department of Defense currently World War I, World War II and the Ko- true promoters of peace and justice articulated standards to keep our rean War. The specter of 51⁄2 years in throughout the world. We pray, calling troops safe, trained and well equipped, Iraq, if our troops remain deployed upon Your Holy Name, now and for- standards for equipment and armor, until August 31, 2008, can hardly be ever. Amen. with the President required to certify called a precipitous cut and run. f As we enter the fifth year of this war, if he believes the Nation’s security re- THE JOURNAL quires DoD standards be waived. None let us insist on a policy designed to of us want to stand in the way if a cri- achieve success. As we enter the fifth The SPEAKER pro tempore. The sis is imminent and deployment must year of this war, let us respond to the Chair has examined the Journal of the be accomplished. However, all of us plea of the American people for a new last day’s proceedings and announces want to see our troops safe, equipped direction in Iraq. And as we enter the to the House her approval thereof.