Abercrombie acts to initiate Discharge Petition for Iraq withdrawl

Abercrombie acts to initiate Discharge Petition for Iraq withdrawl

Washington, DC -- Congressman Neil Abercrombie issued the following statement today regarding the discharge petition process he initiated last week on House Joint Resolution 55, a measure calling on the President to announce a timetable for bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq:

U.S. troops have done everything we've asked of them in Iraq. Their bravery, professionalism and devotion to duty have been exemplary. Thanks to their sacrifices, Iraqis may now attempt to shape their own destiny and take responsibility for their country's security.

We recently witnessed the promulgation of a new Iraqi constitution, and elections for a duly constituted government are scheduled for next month. With these developments, increasing numbers of the American public and Members of Congress (including many who voted in 2002 for the invasion) believe it is time to start bringing U.S. troops home and handing over responsibility for Iraq's security to Iraqis themselves.

Unfortunately, President Bush and his administration appear determined to maintain as large a U.S. military presence in Iraq for as long as they can. This burden falls especially heavily on Reserve and National Guard personnel, whose lives, careers and families have been shoved into limbo over the course of two or even three deployments with more to come. The Bush administration needs to level with itself and us: if Iraqis can't start taking over responsibility two and a half years after their liberation, when will they ever be ready? If the administration can't answer that question forthrightly, then we have to contemplate the unpleasant possibility that we've become trapped in a quagmire with no exit in sight.

It's time for a mission transition bringing our troops home from Iraq. A drawdown schedule will provide Iraqis the powerful incentive they need to strengthen their political institutions and security forces to the point where they no longer depend on the U.S. Delaying withdrawal only perpetuates the status quo. The erosion of our military capacity will accelerate while strategic challenges in other parts of the world become more serious. The estrangement of longstanding friends and allies will grow deeper by the day, and the forces of Islamic radicalism will continue to feed off our presence in Iraq. The U.S. casualty toll will keep rising, and the strain on troops and their families will mount to intolerable levels, especially for the Guard and Reserves.

These reasons are why Representatives Walter Jones (R-NC), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and I introduced House Joint Resolution 55. It calls on the President to announce a timetable for withdrawal, which would commence no later than October 1, 2006, a little less than a year from now. That gives the Iraqis a reasonable time to complete the training and development of their own army and police forces. Since the introduction of our bipartisan resolution, Representative Jones and I have been joined by more than 60 other members of the House of Representatives who have signed on as cosponsors.

The American people, especially those with family members in the military, deserve a full and open discussion of these issues. We believe House Joint Resolution 55 is the appropriate catalyst for that discourse. The public's elected representatives have the duty to conduct the discussion, and the floor of Congress is the rightful place for it. However, President Bush and his Republican allies in the Congressional leadership refuse to bring the measure to the floor while the public asks: Where are the Democrats? And what is there to be afraid of? For Republicans, I believe the answer lies in their discomfort with the prospect of a no-holds-barred discussion of the policy drift which is making hostages of our troops. Equally unwelcome will be the inevitable questions about the untruths, miscalculations and manipulation of intelligence used (and which continue to be used) to justify the case for war and continued occupation.

Now that the true facts behind the war and its consequences have become clearer, Congress must face up to its responsibilities. Republican leaders in Congress must stop the stonewalling and Democrats need to define their position. To break the blockade and move the discussion about bringing home our troops to the floor of Congress, I have invoked a seldom used rule of the House of Representatives. On November 9, 2005 I took action to initiate what is known as a Discharge Petition for House Joint Resolution 55. When a majority of the House of Representatives (218 Members) signs the petition, the Speaker will have no option but to bring it the floor for debate and a vote. As long as the Republican leadership continues in its refusal to permit an open debate, a discharge petition is our only hope for presenting the case for bringing home the troops on the floor of the people's House in full view of the public.

Events have brought us to the point where support for the troops means giving them a timetable for return to their homes and families. They have earned our thanks. They deserve a homecoming with full honors for a job well done. Indefinite continuation of the policy of open-ended deployment is a disservice to our men and women in uniform. They deserve a national policy worthy of their sacrifice and dedication. A full and open debate of House Resolution 55 provides the opportunity to meet that obligation.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/hi01_abercrombie/Fa_iraq_dischargepetition05b.html