U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Care, katrina Recovery, And Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007, Veto Message From The President Of The Unite

Floor Speech

U.S. TROOP READINESS, VETERANS' CARE, KATRINA RECOVERY, AND IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007--VETO MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES (H. DOC. NO. 110-31) -- (Extensions of Remarks - May 04, 2007)

* Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, for the third time I will vote in strong support of H.R. 1591, The Iraq Accountability Act. This time I will vote to override the President's veto of this critical legislation. With U.S. troop levels in Iraq increasing towards 170,000, all of whom are in the middle of a civil war; it is an act of political gamesmanship, not executive leadership, for President Bush to veto this legislation. With this veto, President Bush, with the strong support of his Republican minority in Congress, rejected $95.5 billion for our troops in harm's way and walks away from billions in needed funds for our veterans. The President vetoed this bill and rejected providing our troops with needed training, mandatory rest time, and an exit strategy from a civil war in Iraq.

* This presidential veto sends a clear message to Congress and to the overwhelming majority of American people who are demanding a change in this administration's Iraq policy. The message is this: the White House has no intentions of holding Iraq's political leaders accountable for the future of their country. They have no intention of honoring the benchmarks his administration has established for measuring success in Iraq. And, President Bush has no intention of ending the U.S. military's presence in Iraq during his remaining 20 months in the White House. The only timetable this president is likely to honor will result in him walking out of the White House on January 20, 2009, leaving behind more than a hundred thousand U.S. troops in Iraq and the greatest foreign policy disaster in American history for a new president to address.

* The Democratic majority in this House have made the needs of our troops, our veterans and our Nation's security our top priority. Unlike the minority in Congress and the White House, we are not deluded by a false hope that Iraq will suddenly transform itself into a nation of peace and tranquility with a surge of U.S. troops. Every indicator--military, economic and social--demonstrates that U.S. troops and American taxpayers are bearing an overwhelming burden on behalf of a nation that is broken and an Iraqi political leadership that refuses to act to retain sovereignty over their own nation.

* Iraqis must take responsibility for the future of their nation, not U.S. troops. The only solution that can be achieved and sustained in Iraq is through political dialogue, not expanded military action by a foreign army. President Bush's failed policy has U.S. troops doing the job Iraqi soldiers and police should be doing. The veto of this legislation not only strips General Petraeus and all our commanders on the ground of any leverage to hold Iraq's political leaders accountable, it ensures that U.S. troops will continue being engaged in door-to-door searches, Baghdad foot patrols and raids on torture centers run by Iraqi security forces.

* Last month, 104 Americans were killed in Iraq. The President's surge is not creating security for Iraqis, but has placed U.S. troops at greater risk. In March, 2,762 Iraqi civilians and policemen were killed. In April thousands more Iraqis were killed. On Monday, sixty Iraqis were killed, including the thirteen corpses found in Baghdad, ``all blindfolded, handcuffed and shot in the head'' according to the Washington Post.

* These are not just numbers, they are lives. They are the lives of men and women, children as well, American soldiers and Iraqi civilians, killed as part of a bloody civil war. More than 50,000 Iraqi are fleeing their country every month. Two million Iraqis are now refugees and another 1.9 million Iraqis are internally displaced because of sectarian killings, ethnic cleansing and civil war. For my colleagues who warn about a horrific humanitarian crisis if this legislation becomes law, why do you ignore the horrific humanitarian crisis that is taking place right now as a result of the failed policies of this White House?

* I will vote to override this veto. This legislation starts the process of ending the war in Iraq. This legislation not only holds the Iraqis accountable, it holds President Bush accountable as well. This war started because of distortions, false information and the determination of the Bush White House to deceive the American people, not a threat to our national security. It has always been a war of choice and an unjust war. The empty rhetoric from the Republicans in this chamber claims that this legislation puts the American people at risk, yet it is their stay the course support for a disastrous Iraq policy that harms America. My Republican colleagues' rejection of accountability standards, benchmarks for success, and an exit strategy from Iraq is an indication of their blind loyalty to President Bush, his failed leadership and a perpetuation of the deceit that brought us the Iraq War.

* I urge all my colleagues to vote to override President Bush's veto of H.R. 1591 and let us start down the path of successfully ending the war in Iraq.

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