Washington, DC - “Madame Speaker, over the past week there has been a lot of talk in the chambers of Congress about what it means to be patriotic. The Republican leadership would have us believe that patriotism is asking no questions and voicing no concerns. According to them, patriotism is simply handing over $87 billion tied with a bright red bow and a card attached to it that says, here is the money you asked for. Go ahead and spend it how you want.
 
“Madame Speaker, this is not patriotic. This would be neglecting our constitutional duty to oversee how taxpayers' dollars are spent, and it is an obligation that I think we need to take very seriously when considering this supplemental bill. We need to take it seriously not only for the taxpayers but also, more importantly, for our soldiers.
 
“There is not a person in this chamber who would vote against supporting our troops. They are serving bravely and honorably in a faraway land for far longer than anyone expected, and our prayers are with them and their families. Our troops are the true patriots, and the patriotism I see in this debate is demonstrated by those demanding the best for those troops.
 
“Unfortunately, the war plan may have failed to adequately protect our troops. Details may have been overlooked.
 
“Members of Congress returning from Iraq talk about the lack of Kevlar inserts and the need for heavier armor for Humvees. The $87 billion supplemental includes these items. But why were these items not in the $79 billion Congress provided the administration last spring? Kevlar inserts cost $517, $517 for a life-saving device. I ask my colleagues, why was there not enough money for each soldier to have a Kevlar insert? Did we not foresee our soldiers being shot at?

 

“Unfortunately, my question is not one that will be answered, or as the chief of the U.S. Central Command said last week, ``I can't answer for the record why we started this war with protective vests that were in short supply.''

 

“Madame Speaker, there is no answer, or at least no answer that could satisfy this Member of Congress. Where was the money to armor up our military vehicles? The Department of Defense thinks we only need $177 million to do it now. Again, why was this not done with the $79 billion appropriated last April? Why was the money not provided to protect our soldiers in these vehicles from gunshots and shrapnel from these roadside bombs?

 

“So, I say to my Republican friends, you will have to excuse us if we insist on exercising our constitutional duty, one that I happen to believe is our patriotic duty, to ensure that we get our priorities straight and protect our young men and women in Iraq and in Afghanistan.
 
“In examining patriotism and priorities, I cannot help but wonder if single handedly rebuilding Iraq while our country remains in economic downturn is the most patriotic use of this $20 billion in proposed reconstruction funding. I see part of this funding going towards a children's hospital in Iraq when right now I have 177,000 Texas children who have been dropped from the CHIPS program and they are crowding our emergency rooms because they have no health insurance. I want to help children in Iraq, but should we not be also addressing the problems here at home?
 
“I see this funding going toward building roads and bridges in Iraq when this Congress cannot pass a highway spending bill because we simply do not have enough money to fix our own roads and bridges here at home. This administration has misplaced priorities that come at the expense of the American people.
 
“In the name of free trade, we pushed our manufacturing companies and workers offshore. Our manufacturing sector is struggling to survive, and our economy has lost 3.2 million jobs over the last 3 years. For the second straight year now, more Americans are finding themselves in poverty. Our country has turned into a land of executives and service sector employees, creating an ever-widening gulf between the rich and poor that is extinguishing what is left of our middle class in America.
 
“This administration's fiscal policies have come at the expense of the American people.
 
“Oh, we will hear that we can have it all. They will tell us we can fight a war, rebuild a country, cut taxes, save Social Security, and provide our seniors with a prescription drug benefit which is less than half of what they really need. But what they do not tell us is that we cannot pay for it. We are going to incur the largest deficit in this Nation's history, and our children and grandchildren will be paying off the national debt for generations to come.
 
“Tough decisions must be made to get this country back on track, and it takes courage and leadership to make the right decisions for our soldiers, for the American people, and for this country.
 
“Putting the American people first. Now, that is what patriotism is.”