Providing for Consideration of H.R. 1591, U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act 2007
March 22, 2007
Rep. Maxine Waters [D-CA]: Mr. Chairman, thank you for allocating the time for me to come and basically disagree with you on this floor, but that is what democracy is all about.
I don't believe that this bill will do what it is intended to do. I don't believe it makes good sense to say that our troops should be well trained and well equipped, and then give the President the right to waive that.
I don't believe that the President will report to us in any fashion that we can rely on in July, which will determine whether or not we get out by December or whether we continue to give assistance to the Iraqis.
I don't believe that it is enforceable, and I don't believe that this war will end by next August even though I think that is what the leadership intends for it to do.
This war has been mismanaged. We have been misled. We have been made to believe we would be welcomed with open arms. There were no weapons of mass destruction. That the troops were getting trained and success was right around the corner, and even last week when carnage was taking place in Iraq and our soldiers were being killed, this administration was out in the media talking about we were succeeding. And we will continue to be misled. This war has been mismanaged.
We don't have any friends in Iraq. The Sunnis do not want us there. The Shiites don't like the occupation, and the Kurds don't like us. We are undermined on a daily basis.
Even Mr. Maliki, who is supposed to be our ally, is working with Sadr over in Sadr City, who controls the militias. The police departments that are supposedly working to secure the people are part of the undermining that is going on. Our soldiers, when they are in confrontations, are deserted by the very people that they are supposed to train.
General said this cannot be won militarily, it must be done diplomatically. I don't see the diplomatic effort.
I don't believe that giving $100 billion to the President of the United States to continue this war will achieve the goal that we intend for it to achieve. I oppose this legislation. I will continue to work with the Out of Iraq Caucus, and I am hopeful we can end this war and bring our soldiers home.
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Contact: Makel Moore
202-225-2201
