Johnson Comments on All Night Session on Iraq

Statement

U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today released a statement on the minority's successful effort to prevent a vote on a change of strategy for Iraq. The debate focused on an up-or-down vote on the Levin-Reed amendment to the Defense Authorization bill. Johnson said:


The role of the Senate is to debate important issues of the day. I can think of no more pressing issue than sending our men and women in uniform off to war.

Rather than allow an up or down vote on this important issue, a minority of members in the Senate have put up a procedural roadblock to prevent a transition plan for Iraq. There is no easy answer to the problems in Iraq, but the bipartisan Iraq Study Group made 79 suggestions and to date, the Administration has only tried one.

It is time to enact the diplomacy portion of the report. It is time to transition our mission to one that focuses on training Iraqi security forces, conducting counter-terrorism operations, turning power over to the Iraqis, and decreasing the American footprint in Iraq.

My own son fought in Iraq when this war started more than four years ago. Now that the minority has stalled this bill, we will wait until September to get yet another report and continue to pray for the safety of our soldiers.

Source