Washington, DC – Explaining that it is important to support our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, Senator Clinton addressed her "yes" vote on the $87 billion supplemental appropriation approved by the Senate Friday evening. In doing so, she expressed strong concerns over the direction of the Bush administration's Iraq policy.

In a speech on the Senate floor the Senator said, "This vote, 87-12, was a vote for our troops, it was a vote for our mission, but it was not a vote for our national leadership."

The Senator also explained that the administration's inability and unwillingness to solicit international support was in part responsible for the enormous size of the supplemental appropriation. She described it as "a bill for failed leadership."

Nonetheless, the Senator believes neither our troops nor the Iraqi people should be punished for the Bush administration's failures. At the conclusion of her address, Senator Clinton expressed hope that the administration would learn from its mistakes.

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