Madam Speaker, I rise to support the conference report on the U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans’ Health and Iraq Accountability Act.

For more than three years, when the President came to Congress to ask for funding for Iraq, the Republican leadership’s only question was, “How much?”

When the President wanted to extend the tours of duty for troops already deployed and imposed stop-loss orders, the Republican leadership’s only question was, “How soon?”

And when the President decided to send more troops to Iraq in one of the failed surges, the Republicans only asked, “How many?”

Madam Speaker, today we end the era of Congressional fealty to the President’s failed policies in Iraq. 

Today we stop writing blank checks for this war.

We vote today for a new direction in Iraq.

My constituents know that we can’t win this war militarily.  They know that it’s time to start bringing our troops home.

It’s time for the President to stop the rhetoric and work with us to end this war.

Support the troops.  Bring them home.

I yield back.

Pictured above: (center) Congresswoman Capps meets with Central Coast firefighters to discuss emergency preparedness.