Iraq
I strongly support our country's brave men and women's efforts to defeat international terrorism. However, I did not agree with President Bush that military confrontation with Iraq should be a priority over several other aspects of the war on terrorism, such as capturing Osama bin Laden and debilitating the leadership of al-Qaeda. I have always believed that the United States had not exhausted all of its diplomatic options, and for this reason I voted to oppose House legislation that would give President Bush the authorization to use pre-emptive military force against Iraq.
While the President proclaimed that major combat operations in Iraq ended on May 1, 2003, our troops, foreign aid workers and the citizens of Iraq have continued to suffer routine terrorist-style attacks, sectarian violence and civil war. Moreover, the Administration failed to pressure the Iraqi leadership to find a political solution to the intense violence that now exists in Iraq. In essence, I believe the Administration's policies in Iraq have been disastrous.
As your representative in Congress, I am working to achieve greater accountability and transparency of the Bush Administration's actions in Iraq. Five years since combat began, it is now time for Congress to forge a new course of action for the American military presence in Iraq. I believe that escalating our presence in Iraq will not lead to success in the region and for this reason, I voted for H.Res. 157, the resolution disapproving of the President's decision to deploy more than 20,000 additional U.S. combat troops to Iraq. In addition, I voted for H.R. 1591, the Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act of 2007, which was passed by the House on March 23, 2007. This bill sets August 31, 2008, as the final date for complete withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. This is one of the most important measures taken to ensure we bring back home our soldiers and end this tragic war.
I have also co-sponsored H.R. 353, a bill to prohibit the use of funds for an escalation of U.S. forces in Iraq. The cost of war continues to grow at an outrageous rate. To date, we have spent approximately 379 billion dollars on this war; with estimates from some experts saying the total long-term cost could exceed one trillion dollars. I am also a co-sponsor of H.R. 508, a bill to require U.S. military disengagement from Iraq and to provide U.S. assistance for reconstruction and reconciliation. I believe that we cannot win the real war on terror without protecting our soldiers.