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“ Democratic priorities are clear: we will fight to get the economy back on track, we will create jobs, and we will help unemployed workers. ” |
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Pelosi: Israel Resolution Reaffirms U.S. Support for Sharon Plan
Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi spoke on the House floor this afternoon to support H. Con. Res. 460, which endorses President Bush's letter in April embracing the plan by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. The resolution passed by a vote of 407 to 9. Below are Pelosi's remarks:
"I commend also the sponsors of the resolution, Majority Leader DeLay and our distinguished Whip Hoyer for putting before us a resolution that we should all support. It gets right to the point of what we need, which is a negotiated settlement between the parties.
"Mr. Speaker, we can never say it enough: America's commitment to the safety and security of the state of Israel is unwavering. There are unbreakable bonds of friendship between the United States of America and the state of Israel. The United States stands with Israel because of our common interest, our fundamental interest in the most basic of all rights: the right to exist, the right to live free from fear, the right to put our children on a school bus in the morning, knowing that they will come home safely in the afternoon.
"Let there be no doubt: the United States of America stands with the state of Israel because of those bonds of friendship, but first and more fundamentally, because it is in our national interest to stand with the state of Israel.
"I view this resolution as an endorsement of a fresh start. I listened intently to what my colleagues have said about concerns they have about the plight of the Palestinians in the region, and I share them. This resolution preserves the right of final negotiations between the parties, for those parties to resolve their differences. It recognizes that for Israel to be secure and safe, it is important and necessary for there to be a Palestinian state.
"So when Prime Minister Sharon announced withdrawal from Gaza, and from some parts of the West Bank, I viewed it as a fresh, new opportunity for peace in the Middle East, which is in the national interest of our country, and in the international interest of the world, and certainly in the regional interest of those involved directly.
"By passing this resolution, the House of Representatives will affirm the support of the United States, already confirmed by President Bush, for Prime Minister Sharon’s withdrawal plan.
"The principles endorsed by the resolution are consistent with the framework for peace previously outlined by President Clinton, and intended to facilitate the implementation of the Roadmap for Peace. The Roadmap remains the best chance for a comprehensive solution for the differences between Israelis and Palestinians.
"It is time for all parties to the Roadmap to use the opportunities presented by the Sharon plan to bring an end to the violence and achieve lasting peace in the Middle East."
“ Democrats are united in presenting a New Direction for America, one that will make our nation as strong as its people, one that brings opportunity, security, and prosperity to all Americans. ”
Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
