Congressman Tom Price (R-GA) today commented on Iraq and Afghanistan in advance of tonight’s Oval Office address by President Obama.

“Like every American, I welcome home our proud soldiers who have returned from Iraq,” said Congressman Price. “It is their untold sacrifices, and those of their fallen comrades, that made the surge strategy a success. We owe them all an enormous debt of gratitude.

“Though they want to spin the facts today, there is no question that Democrats like President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Reid opposed the surge in Iraq and preferred to accept defeat. Try as they might, they cannot rewrite that disturbing history. Nevertheless, the fight is not yet finished. 50,000 American troops remain in harm’s way in Iraq, and they need our continued support. Likewise, our servicemembers in Afghanistan still face a tough fight to root out al Qaeda and its Taliban allies.

“Looking forward, the President must ignore a desire to impose on our troops still in theater politically motivated timetables for withdrawal. He must not undermine their hard-won successes by focusing on inflexible schedules that only demoralize our allies and give hope to our enemies.

“This country needs a Commander-in-Chief willing to pursue a strategy informed by the facts on the ground, not the politics of the time. Tonight, I hope President Obama pledges to fulfill that need.”