2.16.2007
“Mr. Speaker, I rise again today to urge a no vote on this non-binding resolution. We have spent the week discussing the situation in Iraq, and trying to find out what the resolution may really mean.
“As I said at the start of this debate, it is hard to imagine a group less qualified to determine tactics on the ground in a time of war than 535 Members of Congress.
“There is disagreement on how we should fight this war on Islamic totalitarianism, but this fight is the challenge of our generation.
“Mr. Speaker, many of my friends on the other side of aisle supported this mission in the beginning, but now they’re ready to give up in the middle of this fight.
“Those who join me in opposing this non-binding resolution have been saying all week that, while this resolution will have no impact because it is non-binding, it is still the first step toward cutting funding on our troops.
“Yesterday we were told that this is the first step toward pulling the rug out from under our troops in the field.
“This week one of the veterans on our side of the aisle was accused of being ‘dishonest’ in her ‘representation’ when she said that this resolution we’ll vote on today did ‘not support those who are deploying.’
“But the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Mr. Murtha said just yesterday during the unveiling of his strategy to pull the rug out from under our troops:
“‘They won’t be able to continue. They won’t be able to do the deployment. They won’t have the equipment. They don’t have the training, and they won’t be able to do the work.’
“Mr. Murtha also said:
“‘I think first of all we have to be careful that people don’t think this is the vote…, the real vote would come on the legislation we are putting together. This non-binding legislation, it is just an opinion.’
‘‘This resolution says just enough to not say anything at all, but we have already heard Democrats calling the debate this week the ‘bark before the bite.’
“The so-called slow bleed approach is a bite that will surely hurt those fighting under America’s flag overseas. “This non-binding resolution is the first step in an all too binding spiral toward defeat in a fight we cannot afford to lose.”
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