Providing for Consideration of HR 1591, US Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007

Floor Speech

PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 1591, U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2007

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Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this legislation, and I commend Chairman Obey, Chairman Murtha, and Speaker Pelosi for putting it before us today.

I come here also to speak to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle. With all sincerity, no one questions your patriotism or love of country. And yet we hear you come down here and belittle the proposal that we have before us and call Democrats defeatists, when it is you who have surrendered your judgment. You surrendered that judgment when you didn't listen to Scowcroft or Eagleberger or Baker or Kissinger or even Powell or Shinseki.

When you don't listen to the generals or even the soldiers in the field, you mock men when they stand up here and in principle, like JACK MURTHA, who you know have always stood on behalf of the troops of this country, and today offers more than $4 billion more that the President has put forward. But because of your blind, myopic allegiance to a failed policy, you have surrendered your judgment to what is the right thing.

Chairman DREIER asked us what is victory. Victory is joining with us in this proposal. Victory is once again standing on the Capitol steps hand in hand, as we all were against the war in Afghanistan, and once again fighting terrorists by going after the guys who actually took down the buildings, who hit the Pentagon.

Stand with us in the war against terrorism. End this God-awful situation in Iraq. Provide the Iraqis with the back bone that they need to stand up by giving them the tough love and the deadlines that this legislation requires.

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