It has now been almost four years and 2,795 soldiers have died, including 13 from our own congressional district, and 8,963 have been wounded in ways that will forever change their lives.

One thing we know for sure is that our intelligence failed us. There is not a more difficult decision that Members of Congress are asked to make than whether or not to send our men and women in uniform into harm's way. When we are faced with making that decision, we must know our intelligence is right.

This has been a war that has touched most families, and mine is no different. My brother-in-law spent Christmas in the Middle East supporting a mission to refuel Air Force aircraft over Afghanistan.  My first cousin was also in Iraq serving our country when his wife gave birth to their first child.  I believe the service of our men and women in uniform to our country is much greater than that of any Member of Congress or any President could ever be, and I honor them.

There has been much debate about the Iraq resolution, which I read three times. It states that we support our troops, and I do. It states that we are against terrorists, and I am. It states that we are against a date certain for withdrawal from Iraq, and I agree that pulling our troops out of Iraq before the job is done is irresponsible.  Therefore, I cast my vote in support of this resolution. 

However, I do not agree with the President on one important issue.  This President is spending $279 million of your tax money in Iraq every 24 hours, yet if anyone asks how the money is being spent, then they are accused of being unpatriotic.  I believe this President, this administration, and this Republican Congress, must be accountable for the $279 million of your tax money that they are spending in Iraq every 24 hours.

I also believe that this President lacks a plan. The resolution never states how we are going to win the war in Iraq.  This President must give us a plan as to how our brave men and women can achieve success and return home to their families.

On August 11, 2004, I traveled to Iraq to visit with nearly 3,000 Arkansas National Guard troops.  I went to let them know we support them and to make sure some of this money was being spent on them and the equipment they need to get the job done.  I visited with young soldiers from my hometown, soldiers I had taught in Sunday school, soldiers I had duck hunted with.

I asked the soldiers what should be done differently and they said we need to be hiring Iraqis to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure.  The insurgents are hiring them and they are accepting the money and lobbing cheap bombs at us.  They also explained that the U.S. needs to train and hire more Iraqis so that they may obtain control of their military and police forces.

During the February 2006 NATO meeting in Brussels, I asked the Iraqi ambassador to NATO and the European Union the same question I had asked these soldiers.  Surprisingly, nearly two years later, he gave me the same response. 

The ambassador’s response demonstrates that for over two years, the Bush Administration has failed to listen to the people most affected by the war on terror.  It has failed to listen to our troops and failed to listen to the Iraqi people.  As a result of these failures, little is being accomplished and our troops are paying the price.

 It is time for this President to give us a plan to establish a lasting democracy and to win the peace, a plan that will eventually allow us to bring our men and women in uniform home.  I believe a good place to begin developing this new plan is to listen to our men and women on the ground in Iraq, as well as to the Iraqi people who survived Saddam Hussein’s evil regime and are now doing their best to create democracy in a place a long way from America. 

The bill specifically includes $998.688 million to purchase equipment for the U.S. Military that is partially or fully developed by defense contractors located at Highland Industrial Park in East Camden.

“The funds secured Tuesday night will provide job security and economic opportunities to hard working Arkansans who do so much to build the equipment that protects our war fighters,” Ross said.  “I am pleased to have been able to help secure necessary funding for the enhancement of military operations at a time when defense technology is critical to the security of our nation and keeping our men and women in uniform safe.”    

The following projects were included in the FY 2007 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill and will benefit Highland Industrial Park:

• $57.5 million - High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS).
  HIMARS is a C-130 transportable, wheeled, all weather, day/night, indirect fire, rocket and missile system  HIMARS supports light, airborne, air assault divisions and early entry contingency force operations using a more deployable, lethal, survivable and tactically mobile long-range system. HIMARS are produced by government contractors at Highland Industrial Park in East Camden. 

• $46.4 million - Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) P31 Data Link Integration.
  The United States Navy, along with the navies of nine other NATO nations, will employ ESSM to defend against low-flying, fast and maneuvering threats to ships.  ESSM are produced by government contractors at Highland Industrial Park in East Camden.

• $210.9 million - Rocket, HYDRA 70-70MM-Army, Navy, and Air Force.
  The system is an effective area suppression weapon which has seen use most recently in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom.  HYDRA rockets are produced by government contractors at Highland Industrial Park in East Camden.

• $439.1 million – Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3), Missile Procurement, Army.  PAC-3 is an advanced surface to air guided missile system with a high single shot kill probability capable of operation in the presence of electronic countermeasures and able to conduct multiple simultaneous engagements against high performance air breathing missiles.  Patriot Missiles are produced by government contractors at Highland Industrial Park in East Camden.

• $187.244 million – STANDARD Missile Insensitive Munitions Improvements.

This funding will be used for research and development in the field of Insensitive Munitions performance.  This is the ability of the weapons system to react to an unplanned stimuli such as shipboard fire or damage from projectiles or small caliber ammunition hazards.  This research will be conducted at Highland Industrial Park in East Camden.

• $57.544 million - STANDARD Missile Rocket Motor Regrain.

The Navy’s ongoing proactive Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) provides a cost effective method of providing the fleet with the latest missile technology.  As part of SLEP, a rocket motor regrain process was qualified which re-uses the major subcomponents thereby providing a new rocket motor at approximately 50% the cost and in half the time.  This regraining process takes place at Highland Industrial Park in East Camden.

Upon the Senate’s passage of the Department of Defense Appropriations bill, both the House and Senate bills will then go to Conference Committee to negotiate the differences between the two pieces of legislation.  Once the final Conference Committee bill is passed, the President must sign the bill before it becomes law.

The following projects were included in the FY 2007 House Department of Defense Appropriations Bill and will affect the Pine Bluff Arsenal:

• $54.4 million – M18 Smoke Grenade.

This is an increase of $2 million from the President’s Budget.  The M18 Grenade is a small cylindrical hand-held grenade of the approximate size of a soup can. It emits a dense colored smoke (red, violet, yellow or green) and is used by all military services for signaling, marking, or screening operations. 

• $76.7 million – M40A1/M42 Chemical Biological Protective Mask.

The M40A1 and M42 provide respiratory, eye, and face protection against chemical and biological agents.

• $16.8 million – M17 Lightweight Decontamination System.

The M17 is a portable, lightweight, compact, engine-driven pump and multi-fuel-fired water heater system.  The system is capable of performing the hasty decontamination procedures for chemical agent contaminated surfaces. 

• $126.585 million - 155mm Artillery.

This funding, $2 million more than was offered in the President's Budget, will  provide for all 155mm artillery including 155mm Illuminating M485 which produced at the Pine Bluff Arsenal and is widely used in Operation Iraqi Freedom.  The Pine Bluff Arsenal in Pine Bluff is the only military installation in the country that produces this final product.

• $62.918 million - 120mm Artillery.

This funding will provide for all 120mm artillery including 120mm Infrared Illuminating M983 which is produced at the Pine Bluff Arsenal and is widely used in Operation Iraqi Freedom. 

• $14.355 million – 60mm Artillery.

This funding will provide for all 60mm artillery including 60mm Infrared Illuminating M767 which is produced at the Pine Bluff Arsenal and is widely used in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Upon the Senate’s passage of the Department of Defense Appropriations bill, both the House and Senate bills will then go to a Conference Committee to negotiate the differences between the two pieces of legislation.  Once the final Conference Committee bill is passed, the President must sign the bill before it becomes law.