Congressman Salazar’s Statement On House Iraq Resolution

Washington, D.C. - The only military veteran in the Colorado delegation, House Veterans’ Affairs Committee member John Salazar (CO-3) denounced sending more than 20,000 combat troops to Iraq and submitted the following statement for the record:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a profound debt of gratitude for our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.   

“Our brave soldiers are remarkable.  They find themselves in a foreign land with regional conflicts that date back over a thousand years. 

“However, they don’t run and hide.  They fight.  They risk their lives helping to encourage and teach the Iraqis to take over their own destiny. 

“Our nation’s sons and daughters deserve nothing short of unconditional gratitude and support from their government and the American people. 

“As long as I am in Congress, our soldiers will have an ally. 

“As a veteran, and a father, I will always fight to protect those who defend their country.

“I will fight for equipment and supplies.  I will fight for their safety and protection.  I will make sure they return home to their loved ones as quickly as possible.  And I pledge they will NOT be forgotten once they return home!  

“But I will not support sending over 20,000 more young men and women into a fight without a plan to win and get them home. 

“We cannot send more Americans into harm’s way to instill a peace that the Iraqis are not willing to seek for themselves. 

“The solutions now are political not military.  The Iraq Study Group urged the president to pursue a diplomatic solution alongside our military efforts.

“But this president has decided to ignore the diplomatic side of the equation. 

“This administration has squandered their credibility by losing billions in reconstruction funds, failing to adequately equip our troops, and failing to develop a clear plan for reconstruction in Iraq. 

“It is time for the Iraqi people to stand up and to begin a phased redeployment to protect American interests and take our troops out of the direct line of fire. 

“Finally, this war has created a new generation of veterans with new disabilities not seen in past wars. 

“Adding insult to injury, the president’s recent budget proposal lacks adequate funding for our veterans returning home. 

“Researching post-traumatic stress disorder, improving suicide prevention, and providing adequate funding for prosthetics are crucial budget needs to serve our new veterans. 

“On a recent trip to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, I met with several of our wounded soldiers.  I pledge to them – and to all our men and women in uniform – that your country will take care of you. 

“And I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.”