Congresswoman Napolitano Speaks in Support of Troops & Opposition to Bush Escalation Plan

(Washington D.C.)- Congresswoman Grace F. Napolitano (D-Norwalk) spoke on the House Floor today in favor of the Iraq resolution that expresses support for our troops and opposition to the President's proposal to escalate the war in Iraq.  Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:

“Thank you Madam Speaker.  I join my colleagues in total opposition to the President’s plan, a plan that escalates the number of our young men and women, American troops, being sent to Iraq.  I did not vote for the war resolution and I do not believe that sending more young Americans to Iraq and putting their lives at risk will change the situation.”

“Since the beginning of the Iraq conflict, our valiant men and women in uniform have not received the adequate training nor proper life-protection equipment required to ensure their safety.  The President’s proposal to put more troops in harm’s way, into the middle of a civil war, where neither side backs our continued occupation, would further endanger our troops.”

“My constituents are not in favor of escalation.  Families have suffered enough already.  There is no justification for causing more pain and adding to the suffering of other mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, and other loved ones.  We speak of the soldiers who lost their lives.  We speak not of the thousands injured and the suffering, they and their families are put through.”

“The consequences of the war in Iraq extend far beyond the awful tally of over 3,100 killed and 23,000 wounded.  The nation’s economic consequences of the escalation are profound: every portion of our budget has been cut except for defense spending.  The worst budget cuts take funding away from Veterans—the very men and women who put their lives on the line in Iraq and other wars.

“I regularly receive letters, phone calls, and emails, from constituents who ask me to fund vital, successful, and necessary programs for their communities, but we can not support our communities with the funds they truly need as those funds are instead devoted to war we did not want.  Vital social services, critical to the wellbeing of the people of my district, and all our districts, are again being cut.”

“Another consequence of the war are the social consequences.  Those soldiers fortunate enough to return home alive and in good physical health suffer long term mental health problems as a direct consequence of their time in Iraq.  Yet our services to them and their families are sadly lacking and under-funded.”

“Families are being torn apart by the war.  Children are forced to grow up without their mother or their father.  Parents are losing children—no mother should have to bury a son or daughter.”

“I urge the President to work with Iraq’s neighbors and the international community to ensure other countries’ commitments to Iraq’s security situation, the training of Iraqi troops and police, and financial support.”

“Escalation is not the answer, and I cannot and will not support such a policy.” 

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