Pelosi Floor Statement on Responsible Redeployment from Iraq Act

    WASHINGTON, July 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi
 spoke on the House floor today in support of H.R. 2956, the Responsible
 Redeployment from Iraq Act, which the House approved this evening by a vote
 of 223 to 201. Below are her remarks:
     "I thank the gentleman for yielding and I want to express the
 appreciation of so many in this Congress and this country for his
 tremendous leadership. For 30 years, Ike Skelton has been a great champion
 for our men and women in uniform -- for the quality of their lives and
 their families as they serve our country; for their readiness as they
 prepare to go to war; for their well- being as they fight for our country,
 for an appreciation of the sacrifice that they are willing to make, they
 and their families are willing to make.
     "And thank you for giving us this opportunity today to speak on behalf
 of the American people. To take a step to end this war in Iraq and to have
 a vision of a strategic plan for stability in the Middle East. Your bill is
 excellent and your timing, Mr. Skelton, is perfect, because today the Bush
 Administration released the progress report on Iraq benchmarks required by
 the Supplemental Appropriations bill Congress passed in May.
     "The report makes clear that not even the White House can conclude that
 there has been significant progress on the war on the resolution
 benchmarks. This is hardly a surprise given what is publicly available each
 day in the media.
     "Truck bombs killing scores of people in the markets. The supposedly
 secure Green Zone is rocked by a 30-minute mortar and rocket barrage.
 Despite 30,000 additional American troops to increase security, Iraqi
 leaders are urging their people to arm themselves for their own protection.
     "Legislation to make the Iraqi political process more inclusive is
 stalled in the Iraqi legislature. And the cost of the war in precious lives
 and wounded American heroes continues to rise. Since the surge began, we
 have lost nearly 600 American troops.
     "The benchmarks that are being reported on today were endorsed by
 President Bush and the government of Iraq to measure political
 reconciliation and the promotion of security in Iraq. In the fifth year of
 the war, the President's strategy has failed to meet those key benchmarks.
 President Bush continues to urge patience, but what is needed and what the
 American people are demanding is a new direction.
     "Remaining bogged down in a sectarian civil war in Iraq continues an
 unacceptable strain on our military and serves as an effective recruiting
 tool for al-Qaeda. Reports about the resilience of al-Qaeda in Iraq are
 alarming. But assessments that the global al-Qaeda network is
 reconstituting its capabilities describes a far greater threat. The war is
 not making our military stronger to protect our interests, the American
 people safer, or the Middle East more secure. It prevents a refocusing of
 our efforts on the real war on terrorism in places like Afghanistan. And it
 hinders the development of a New Direction strategy for greater stability
 in the Middle East.
     "As General Batiste has said, 'Iraq is distracting America from what
 should be the focus of main effort. It is in America's best interest to
 rethink our national strategy, deliberately disengage from Iraq, refit and
 rearm our military, get serious about homeland security, and prepare to win
 the next phase of the struggle against worldwide extremism.
     "The American people see the danger in clinging to an untenable
 situation in Iraq. That is why by large margins they favor a redeployment
 of our troops. Passage of Chairman Skelton's bipartisan bill will reflect
 the will of the American people and reaffirm the judgment of the House.
 That the redeployment of our troops is a central element in an effective
 way forward in Iraq.
     "We will repeat that judgment legislatively as often as necessary,
 hopefully with an increasing level of support from our Republican
 colleagues, until pressure from the American people causes the President to
 change his mind and his policies.
     "To those who urge that we wait until September, I say that it has been
 four and a half years and half a trillion dollars, at least -- we have
 already waited too long. The troops in their third and fourth tours in
 Iraq, those who have been grievously wounded, and the families of those who
 have died deserve far better.
     "After more than 3,600 lives have been lost to a flawed strategy, we
 have a responsibility to create a new direction.
     "After spending $329 million every day on the war in Iraq, on a war
 that is not making our country safer, we have an obligation to change
 course.
     "After five years of a failed policy in Iraq, we have a duty not just
 to voice our opposition, but to vote to end the war.
     "Chairman Skelton's bipartisan bill offers a step we can take today
 toward bringing the troops home. To creating a strategic vision for
 stability in the Middle East, and for beginning to rearm our military.
     "Let us pass this bill and those that will follow in the coming weeks
 and provide the new direction on Iraq that the American people demand and
 that is so urgently needed.
     "I urge a yes vote on the Skelton bill."
 
 

SOURCE Office of the Speaker of the House