U. S. Troops Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007--Conference Report

Floor Speech

U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' HEALTH, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY ACT, 2007--CONFERENCE REPORT -- (Senate - April 26, 2007)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, this is a war which never should have started and on this President's watch may never end. But the face of this war is not the face of President George W. Bush, nor is it the face of any Member of Congress. The face of this war can be found in the grief of children, wives, mothers, in 3,333 homes across America where a folded American flag and fading photograph are daily reminders of a fallen soldier.

The face of this war can be found in a hospital room in the Midwest where a 22-year-old soldier sits in a wheelchair. When you walk in the room he notices you and watches you, but he cannot speak. He is a victim of traumatic brain injury, the signature injury of this war. His powers of communication are very limited. We hope that will change, but it may not.

Seated next to this 22-year-old soldier in the hospital room is a 21-year-old wife, holding the picture of a 2-year-old daughter. For 10--20--30--or 40 years, this may be his life and her life. The face of this war can be found in hundreds of counseling sessions that are now treating thousands of soldiers who returned, haunted by the demons of this war or fighting post-traumatic stress disorder. The face of this war can be found in the wives and mothers at home, anxiously awaiting the return of their soldier, paying the bills, caring for the kids, hoping their marriage will survive.

Today we send the President a chance to change the course of this war, a chance to finally demand accountability from the Iraqis, and a chance to honor our great men and women in uniform by bringing them home in an orderly, sensible, safe way.

When the President receives this bill early next week, I hope he will ask himself some basic questions. How many lives? How many wounds? How many soldiers must America sacrifice, waiting for the Iraqis to accept their responsibility?

Time and again the Iraqis have failed to shoulder the burden of leadership. They have set their own timetables and deadlines to finally bring political order to their country, and have failed time and time and time again. Instead of being held to the task of governing their own country, some in this Government make excuses and say let's send in some more soldiers and buy them some more time. As the Iraqis fail, brave Americans fall--victims of IEDs, victims of car bombs, victims of a civil war that has its roots in an Islamic battle that has gone on for 14 centuries; victims of Iraqi politicians who delay making the hard political decisions which might bring stability to their country.

The law we send the President will give him a chance to start anew, an opportunity to finally accept change--a moment in history where he can accept the reality of this grim and deteriorating war in Iraq.

The President has already predicted he is going to take this bill and veto it. But we hope there will be 1 moment--1 moment of prayerful reflection before he puts that pen to paper. In that moment, if he closes his eyes in prayer, I hope he sees the faces I have spoken of, of these fallen soldiers, of these battered warriors, of these men and women and families who have given more than we can ever ask of anyone in this country, and I hope he will realize, with that pen in his hand, he can honor them, honor this country, and bring this war to an end.

I reserve the remainder of my time and yield the floor.

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