President Bush's Veto

Floor Speech

PRESIDENT BUSH'S VETO

Mr. WALZ of Minnesota. Mr. Speaker, 4 years ago today, President Bush landed for a photo opportunity on an aircraft carrier in front of a banner that said ``Mission Accomplished'' and declared an end to major combat in Iraq. Four years later this President refuses to even discuss the reality of a military mission that has entered its fifth year.

Yesterday the President vetoed only the second bill that has ever come to his desk. He called it a ``prescription for chaos and confusion.'' I ask, how is that different from what we have now? He refuses to even hold the Iraqis accountable for making political, economic or diplomatic reforms that he promised and they promised to make. He's holding up funding for our troops and for our veterans.

But what exactly is the President waiting for? Now that the President has rejected our legislation, he has the responsibility to tell the American people how many more years does he expect us to stay. Do you think it will be 5? Maybe 10? And what exactly do the ground conditions look like in order to have us beginning to withdraw? Wishful thinking, political talking points and rigid ideology do not make good foreign policy.

This President was wrong when he declared an end of combat operations, and he has been consistently wrong about every single thing in Iraq. It's time that this President works with the new Congress, elected by the majority of the American people, so that we can bring about a change to this war and truly secure America.

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