Undermining of American Values

UNDERMINING OF AMERICAN VALUES -- (House of Representatives - June 21, 2005)

(Ms. SCHAKOWSKY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Madam Speaker, the Bush administration and Republican leaders are engaged in a pathetic attempt to make Senator Dick Durbin's condemnation of the use of torture at Guantanamo Bay an issue.

As a result of the revelations of conditions at Guantanamo, Abu Ghraib, the Bagram Prison in Afghanistan, the Republicans owe the American people, our soldiers, and veterans an apology for undermining American values such as the rule of law, for putting our troops at greater risk around the world, and for cutting veterans health benefits when they come home, and failing to provide our troops the equipment they need to protect themselves on the battlefield.

Clearly the Republicans are reading the polls and watching their approval as well as the approval for the misguided war plummet. So in a desperate attempt to shift the blame, they want to shoot the messenger.

Everyone knows what Senator Durbin meant, and he was right. The United States of America stands for the rule of law, not for torture. It is this administration and the Republican leaders, certainly not our soldiers and not Senator Durbin, who has tarnished the image of our great country.

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