“Mr. Speaker, in the last few days, we have witnessed another tragic string of attacks in Iraq. Our troops, our allies and our mission are under constant fire. I believe we must pass this package, to help protect them.

“There were problems with the initial $87 billion request, and I believe the House, with Chairman Young and Ranking Member Obey in the lead, modified it appropriately. The prudent cuts made in the House survived conference, which is good, and important additions were made.

“Our continued effort in Afghanistan -- formerly the headquarters of Al Qaeda -- has received the funding needed to ensure that the gains we've made do not slip away. We cannot allow that country to again be a haven to groups that would attack us. We did not forget the victims of the Taliban regime, either.

“Sixty million dollars were included for women’s empowerment and participation programs. If anyone doubts the importance of women in the development of stable and prosperous states, let them read the remarkable Arab Human Development Reports. Written by Arab scholars, the Reports name three causes for the underdevelopment in some Arab nations: lack of freedom, lack of knowledge, and lack of women’s empowerment.

“As its 2002 report says, “Society as a whole suffers when half of its productive potential is stifled.” The women of this House and Senate know that, and are determined that the United States will aggressively and directly provide for opportunities for the women of Afghanistan -- and Iraq -- to help their countries grow strong. And so $10 million was similarly set aside for women's programs in Iraq.

“We also directed $90 million in Iraq for education -- an essential building block of a free society, and an area for which insufficient funds have been requested by the Administration. The explanation seemed to be that education was a “soft” area – soft meaning secondary, I believe -- popular with international donors. Let’s leave it to them to fund education. I vigorously disagree with this reasoning.

“One need only consider the effect that this “soft” area has in places like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, where children are sent to madrasas and taught intolerance and hate. Education is not a secondary matter. It is a direct security interest for the U.S., and I thank the conferees for endorsing this priority.

“Concerns about competitive contracting and obtaining timely and accurate reports from the Administration on Iraq were addressed, unfortunately with broad waivers that weaken them substantially. An Inspector General was created for the CPA, but the other body insisted on a waiver which gives the President the ability to withhold any information in the name of national security. A similar waiver applies to disclosure of non-competitive contracting. I fear that these waivers will lead to more sole source contracts, awarded behind closed doors. The House must monitor this closely.

“Finally, there was the question of loans versus grants. Our constituents asked a very simple question: Why can’t we lend money to Iraq, when it has such a wealth of oil? It’s a reasonable question, and in my judgment, we should have given them a reasonable and prudent compromise. It is unfortunate that this was not accomplished in conference.

“My colleagues, I truly believe that failure in Iraq would create a dangerous vacuum in the heart of the Middle East. It would be a place where hatred of the United States and violence against us would thrive. But the gravity of the situation shouldn't lower our standards for planning and execution. It should raise them. There are lives on the line in Iraq and Afghanistan, and our actions will impact the future of all Americans -- especially younger ones. We owe them caution, honesty, and realism as we face these next stages in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I thank the Speaker.”