Representative Ike Skelton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE	Contact: Lara Battles or
Tuesday, June 28, 2005	Whitney Frost (202)225-2876

SKELTON STATEMENT ON THE PRESIDENT’S SPEECH ON IRAQ

Washington, DC – Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO), the Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement concerning the President’s speech at Fort Bragg:

“I am worried about the strain on our Army and the plummeting recruit figures over the last several months. We will not know whether his speech tonight was successful or not until we see the Army recruiting figures for the next two months.
If the recruiting figures continue to decline, the President has not made his case to America’s mothers and fathers. The President is the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces and is, after all, the chief recruiting officer for our military.”

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Congressman Ike Skelton (D-MO) serves as Ranking Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee. For further information, please contact Lara Battles or Whitney Frost at (202)225-2876, or check Congressman Skelton's web site at http://www.house.gov/skelton.