Knollenberg Calls for Politics to End on Iraq War

Press Release

Congressman Joe Knollenberg issued the following statement on the U.S. House of Representatives consideration of the defense supplemental appropriations bill:

"I must oppose this bill because I believe it presupposes our defeat in Iraq and unduly attempts to micromanage the conduct of the war from the halls of Congress.

"Mistakes have been made in the execution of the war. No one is disputing that. But we should give the Administration's new policy a chance to work before presupposing its failure and our ultimate defeat in Iraq. I want our troops to come home as soon as possible. But I want them to return in victory, not defeat. It's time for the Iraqis to assume responsibility for the security of their nation. I am hopeful that the Administration's new policy will bring an end to the sectarian violence in Iraq and provide an opening for the Iraqi government to step up to the plate.

"It was a bipartisan vote of Congress that authorized this war four years ago. It is going to take bipartisan cooperation to bring about its successful conclusion. This bill is anything, but bipartisan. It is a crafty way to set a hard and fast deadline for troop withdrawals before we have even given the new Iraq strategy a chance to succeed.

"We should reject this bill and go back to the drawing table. Let's give our troops a chance to stabilize Baghdad and come home in victory. Let's pass a clean supplemental and provide our troops with the resources they need. The United States has a lot of credibility on the line in Iraq. Let's not tie the hands of our generals and send a mixed message to the brave men and women who are in harm's way. The election is over. It's time for the politics to end as well."

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