Providing for Consideration of Senate Amendments to House Amendments to Senate Amendment to H.R. 2642, Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2008

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Mr. McGOVERN. I thank the chairwoman for yielding to me.

Mr. Speaker, the rule allows for the supplemental to be considered in two parts. Part 1 is funding for the war and Iraq, and part 2 includes expanded benefits for GI education, expanded unemployment compensation, disaster relief, food aid, and other measures.

I want to begin also, Mr. Speaker, by thanking Chairman Obey for his incredible leadership in trying to forge a decent and fair compromise. He has more patience than I.

Mr. Speaker, let me start with talking about amendment No. 2. I strongly support the measures contained in this amendment. It expands the GI benefits for the education of our veterans, including those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and extends them more equitably for all of our service branches, including the Guard and Reserves.

The amendment also extends unemployment benefits by up to 13 weeks in every State for workers who have exhausted their benefits.

It places a moratorium on six Medicaid regulations, the costs of which are fully offset.

It provides emergency funding to meet critical needs, especially in addressing the global food crisis and disaster and refugee assistance.

It includes many other measures, Mr. Speaker, that are worth supporting, that are important, that are vital, and so I urge all my colleagues to support amendment No. 2.

Let me now just say a few words about funding for the war in Iraq, Mr. Speaker.

Under amendment No. 1, funding for the Iraq war is provided without conditions, a blank check, with no requirements about how or when we might begin removing our military forces from Iraq or prohibiting the Bush administration from moving forward with a Status of Forces Agreement that could tie the hands of the next administration to design a new policy and a new future with Iraq.

Mr. Speaker, how can anyone in this Chamber give this President another blank check for the war in Iraq? This is the same President who rushed us into war under false pretenses. There were no weapons of mass destruction and no ties to al Qaeda. Everything he and his administration have told us has been wrong. Where is the accountability?

For me, this is one compromise too many. It represents one cave-in too many. It asks Congress to roll over and be blind to the consequences of the war for the next 9 months or so.

Five years after the invasion of Iraq, the Bush administration continues the occupation of Iraq with no end in sight. More than 4,500 American soldiers and tens of thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed, and over 30,000 Americans wounded.

It is long past time for a change in course, and this bill does absolutely nothing to bring that about.

This is George Bush's war, and he should end it while he is still President.

I urge my colleagues in the strongest possible terms to oppose this amendment, amendment No. 1, and demand that this President and his administration begin the safe and orderly withdrawal of our troops from Iraq.

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