In September 2002, I attended a small meeting with President Bush in the Cabinet Room of the White House, shortly before I voted to authorize the President to use force in Iraq.  I distinctly remember the President outlining justifications for going to war.  He said Saddam Hussein and Iraq did have weapons of mass destruction and were training terrorists in Iraq to build and use these weapons.  President Bush also stated that if military force was used, it would be fierce, it would be swift, and it would be tough. 

We now know that this intelligence was flawed.  I truly think that President Bush received bad intelligence; I do not think that Congress or the American people were intentionally misled by the Administration.  I do not believe that anyone sitting around that table would have ever imagined that three years later, more than 2,100 American troops would have died and that the United States would still be occupying Iraq.  Today’s debate is not about pointing fingers, it is about our current situation and our plan of action from this point forward.  Each month, we spend $6 billion in Iraq.  The American people deserve to know that we not only have a strategy that will ultimately bring our men and women in uniform home, but also a plan to win peace and assist Iraq in establishing a new government.

Iraq plans to hold democratic elections later this month and they have ratified an Iraqi constitution.  This demonstrates they are making tremendous strides forward.  However, the Iraqi people need to understand that while we are prepared to train their police and military forces to defend themselves, enforce order, and transition to democracy, Iraq must soon accept responsibility for their own country and their citizens. 

America is at war, and we owe all of the brave men and women who serve our country a tremendous debt.  There is no way for us to properly thank them for putting their life on the line to defend the freedom of others.  These unselfish acts of heroism cannot be matched. I am proud to have signed on as a co-sponsor to the G.I. Bill of Rights for the 21st Century, which will significantly improve the lives of our nation's brave and deserving veterans.  The G.I. Bill of Rights for the 21st Century will increase the benefits our men and women in uniform receive today, including healthcare, and will provide long overdue benefits for the veterans and military retirees who have already served our great nation.  I am also a co-sponsor of legislation which will reduce from 60 to 55 the age at which members of Reserve components, including the National Guard, may receive military retirement pay.

Our nation must remain united and steadfast in the support we provide our soldiers.  While debate is healthy, we must make it clear to our troops that we wholeheartedly support them in deed and in action.  I remain committed to ensuring our men and women in uniform have the proper equipment and training to get the job done and to bring them home safely.