IN AFTERMATH OF 2,000 AMERICAN DEATHS IN IRAQ:
CONGRESSIONAL RHETORIC STRONGER;
SENATE LEGISLATIVE FOLLOW-THROUGH STILL ABSENT;
Sen. Robert Byrd (D‑WV)
The American people seek an end, they seek an end, they want an end to this ongoing bloody war in Iraq, not new conflicts in neighboring countries.
Senate floor statement ‑ October 25, 2005
Sen. Dick Durbin (D‑IL)
Each step the Iraqis take toward the successful establishment of self‑governance should bring our troops a step closer to home . . . The choice we face in Iraq is not a choice between resolve or retreat. The men and women in our military and their loved ones deserve a clear path to stability in Iraq so they can come home as soon as humanly possible.
Senate floor statement ‑ October 25, 2005
Sen. Russell Feingold (D‑WI)
As my colleagues may know, I have suggested a target date of December 31, 2006, the end of next year, for the completion of our military mission. Today, I want to talk a little bit about why a flexible timetable for withdrawal will help make the U.S. stronger and our enemies weaker . . . But with the words of Republicans like Melvin Laird and military leaders like General Casey, more and more people understand that having a flexible timetable will strengthen our national security. This is not a timetable where the objective is troop withdrawal, the objective is to focus on our national security needs and the timetable is one step towards that goal. A timetable is not about domestic politics‑‑it's about undercutting insurgency recruiting and unity, encouraging more Iraqi ownership and responsibility, and creating space for other important U.S. national security efforts.
Senate floor statement ‑ October 25, 2005
Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA)
Asked how the Mr. Bush could revive the plan [to revamp Social Security], Iowa’s Sen. Charles Grassley replied: “Get the troops out of Iraq and get New Orleans rebuilt.”
Wall Street Journal - October 20, 2005
Sen. Edward Kennedy (D‑MA)
Instead of covering up mistakes in Iraq, it is time for the President to admit them, to adopt an effective strategy to end this war and begin to bring our troops home, and to stop ignoring the very real priorities facing the Nation and the many many challenges facing us at home and abroad.
Senate floor statement ‑ October 25, 2005
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA)
The way forward in Iraq is not to pull out precipitously or merely promise to stay “as long as it takes.” To undermine the insurgency, we must instead simultaneously pursue both a political settlement and the withdrawal of American combat forces linked to specific, responsible benchmarks. At the first benchmark, the completion of the December elections, we can start the process of reducing our forces by withdrawing 20,000 troops over the course of the holidays . . . It will be hard for this Administration, but it is essential to acknowledge that the insurgency will not be defeated unless our troop levels are drawn down, starting immediately after successful elections in December. The draw down of troops should be tied not to an arbitrary timetable, but to a specific timetable for transfer of political and security responsibility to Iraqis and realignment of our troop deployment. That timetable must be real and strict. The goal should be to withdraw the bulk of American combat forces by the end of next year.
Speech at Georgetown University - October 26, 2005
Sen. Patrick Leahy (D‑VT)
Without answers‑‑real answers, honest answers‑‑to these questions, I will not support the open‑ended deployment of our troops in a war that was based on falsehood and justified with hubris . . . Once a new Iraqi government is in place, I believe the President should consult with Congress on a flexible plan that includes pulling our troops back from the densely populated areas where they are suffering the worst casualties and to bring them home.
Senate floor statement ‑ October 25, 2005
Sen. Carl Levin (D‑MI)
MR. RUSSERT: There are now about 150,000 Americans on the ground in Iraq. Knowing what you know about the situation in Iraq and knowing what you know about American politics, how many Americans do you believe will be in Iraq come November of 2006 when the mid‑term congressional elections take place?
SEN. LEVIN: Less than we have there now. For one of two reasons. Either because the Iraqis will put their own house in order, both politically and security‑wise, or they won't. Either way, there is going to be fewer troops there because if the Iraqis can handle the situation, that obviously will lead to fewer troops. But if they refuse to put their political pieces together, if they don't make those compromises, it seems to me it's obvious that we're going to have to consider that timetable for reduction and withdrawal . . . I would think that we'll have at least a third of our troops out by a year from now. That is my guess either way.
Meet the Press - October 16, 2004
Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D‑MD)
We need to see faster progress on all these things. When these things happen, we can begin to withdraw our troops in stages and bring them home. Our military men and women have sacrificed in Iraq. They honored our country by volunteering to serve. We must honor them with an effective plan to finish their work, and bring our troops home . . . we need a workable plan to drawdown our troops.
Senate floor statement ‑ October 25, 2005
Sen. Ken Salazar (R-CO)
"It's important that we push for a successful strategy in Iraq and, for me, that's defined by taking the baton of protecting the government and handing it to Iraqi security forces so we can begin to withdraw our troops," Salazar said . . .We've been told that we've trained (250,000) Iraqi soldiers and we've spent $300 billion on the war, so I do believe you'll see us begin withdrawing our forces next year."
The Pueblo Chieftain - Thursday October 27, 2005
Rep. Jim McGovern (D‑MA)
I will be introducing legislation to end U.S. military operations in Iraq, and I invite you to join me as an original cosponsor of this bill. Quite simply, this bill would end all funding for the deployment of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq. Department of Defense funds could be provided for te safe and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq.
Dear Colleague letter - October 26, 2005
Rep. Brad Miller (D‑NC)
There is no better way to persuade the Iraqi people that we really intend to withdrew than to begin withdrawing. The Price‑Miller resolution calls for a partial withdrawal as soon as possible.
House floor statement - October 25, 2005
Rep. David Price (D‑NC)
I rise in support of the Price‑Miller resolution, which we have introduced today, to require the President to submit to Congress a plan for the withdrawal of United States troops from Iraq in the wake of the October 15 constitutional referendum, beginning with an initial drawdown. This is not a requirement I propose lightly . . . But we must end the occupation, and the approval of the Constitution offers us an opportunity to begin that process. It is an opportunity we must seize . . . Our resolution draws in concept and content on one introduced in the Senate by Mr. Feingold on June 14. It updates that resolution by taking explicit account of the constitutional referendum and proposing an initial immediate drawdown of troops.
House floor statement - October 25, 2005
Rep. Ike Skelton (D‑MO)
In a letter to the President, Congressman Ike Skelton (D‑MO) suggests a formula to guide the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq which would provide the American and Iraqi people with a measurable sense of progress in the region. Skelton proposes that for every three Iraqi security force combat brigades rated "Level 1" (or fully capable), an American brigade or unit of similar size, type, and mission should be strategically redeployed from Iraq. This would establish a clear link between the development of Iraqi security forces and the redeployment of American forces, demonstrating progress in a way that both the American and the Iraqi people can plainly see.
Press statement - October 24, 2005
Rep. Maxine Waters (D‑CA)
Mr. Speaker, it is time to bring our soldiers home. It is time for Republicans and Democrats alike to understand that we do not need to lose another American soldier in Iraq.
House floor statement - October 26, 2005
Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D‑CA)
It is time to return Iraq to the Iraqi people and the troops safely home to their families.
House floor statement - October 26, 2005
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