Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008 -- Continued

Floor Speech

CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008--Continued -- (Senate - December 18, 2007)

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Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, a lot has changed since last December. At this time last year, America and its allies were desperate for good news out of Iraq. The security situation was dire, and getting worse. An all-out civil war threatened to undermine the heroic work of U.S. forces and frustrate the hopes of millions of Iraqis.

Then General Petraeus stepped forward with a bold new plan. We confirmed General Petraeus unanimously for what seemed like one last effort at salvaging the mission. And we sent him the troops and the funds he needed to carry out the job.

Since the implementation of the Petraeus plan, the security situation in and around Baghdad has changed dramatically. Attacks on troops are down. Civilian casualties in Baghdad are down 75 percent. Iraqi refugees are streaming back over the borders. Outside the city, the local leaders are forging agreements among themselves and with U.S. forces to ensure even greater security.

There is simply no question that on the military and tactical levels the Petraeus plan has been a tremendous success. So as we stand here today, we have new hope that U.S. service men and women are beginning to return home with a sense of achievement. A lot has changed in Iraq, and here in Washington, we should take notice.

Before us is an amendment sent to us by the House of Representatives that underfunds our troops and only provides for those fighting in Afghanistan. It leaves the troops in Iraq to fend for themselves. That is unacceptable.

What is the difference between funding the troops in Afghanistan and funding the troops in Iraq? They are both our troops. Even those of us who have disagreed on the war have always agreed on at least one thing, and that is the troops in the field will not be left without the resources they need.

So the amendment I sent to the desk provides for our men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan because I believe it is our duty to protect all of those who are putting their lives on the line. It is also important to understand--I hope everybody in the Chamber and anybody listening gets this fundamental point: If this amendment does not pass, the McConnell-Lieberman amendment does not pass in its current form, the underlying bill will not become law. The passage of the McConnell-Lieberman proposal is essential to getting a Presidential signature on the Omnibus appropriations and Iraq funding.

The Petraeus plan provides for a gradual reduction of our forces and a transition of the mission. Iraqi security forces will eventually shift from partnering with coalition forces to leading forces on their own. We must not impose an arbitrary timeline for withdrawal or accelerate this timeline at an unrealistic pace.

This is a moment of real hope for our Nation and for the people of Iraq. It is a moment of real urgency in the Senate. We need to pass the spending bill with troop funds without any strings and without further delay.

At the risk of being redundant, the President has made it absolutely clear that to get a Presidential signature, to wrap up this session, having succeeded in passing all of our appropriations bills, will require the passage of the McConnell-Lieberman amendment.

So when we get to that amendment--we will have a couple of votes before then, but when we get to that amendment, it is essential. We want to complete our work in a way that implements the appropriations process as all of us feel it should be implemented on a yearly basis. The success of the McConnell-Lieberman amendment is essential.

I yield the floor.

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