Washington, D.C. – Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-Petaluma) today, joined Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) in disavowing President Bush’s military policy of preemptive strikes. Rep. Woolsey spoke at a press conference on Capitol Hill.

The following is Rep. Woolsey’s speech as written for the press conference:

“The President has spoken of a post-September 11th world, where it is our right and responsibility to act preemptively.

“That would be true, if we acted to preempt poverty, sickness, and injustice at home and abroad. That would be true, if we acted to preempt wars through wise diplomacy and verifiable programs of weapons reductions. That would be true, if we preemptively freed the world of nuclear weapons and land mines.

“And that would be true if we preemptively worked to find alternatives to war by helping developing countries achieve stability, by enriching children’s lives so they see a hopeful future, and by strengthening the United Nations instead of threatening to make it irrelevant.

“The United States has a unique international position as a defender of freedom and a guiding light for democracy. We are not warmongers and the Bush doctrine of preemptive first strikes is not acceptable for a nation built on peace and freedom.

“War will not make us safer, and that is why I support Rep. Barbara Lee’s resolution to disavow this un-American doctrine of preemptive strikes.”

Rep. Lynn Woolsey has been an outspoken advocate against war with Iraq and has promoted measures throughout her Congressional career to ensure a more secure future for our children and the world. In the 108th Congress, she will reintroduce her resolution urging the President to initiate multilateral negotiations that will lead to nuclear disarmament, and she will reintroduce “The Roots of Peace Act” to restore arable land in war-ravaged developing countries by removing and disposing of unexploded landmines.