Last night, the House of Representatives passed a bill to provide funding to our troops in Iraq, while requiring the President to begin redeploying forces. Below is U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter’s statement concerning his vote in support of the bill:
“I voted for this bill because it provides funding for our troops, but begins the mission of redeploying them home and to nearby bases in the region so we can refocus our efforts on the war on terrorism and protecting our homeland.
“It is past time to provide for our soldiers who were sent into battle without proper equipment or a clear mission. Now is the time to hold the Iraqi government accountable to meet benchmarks the president created. Now is the time to begin responsibly redeploying our troops.
“Last November, the voters in the 7th Congressional District voted to change the way Congress is doing business, and specifically to change the direction of the war in Iraq. Over the past year, the Iraqi government has made no real political progress, and 2007 was the deadliest year for American troops. The “Stay the Course” strategy the President proclaims cannot continue. In passing this legislation, my colleagues and I are listening to the will of the people and have voted numerous times for this kind of change. But it’s the President and his supporters in Congress who are putting up the road block to change. In order for us to hold this President accountable and overturn his promised veto, we once again need the help of the American people. The American people must join us in demanding that the President either sign The Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act or demand a veto override from Republicans in Congress. We need help convincing the President and his supporters in Congress that they are continuing a failed policy in Iraq , and that it is time for a new direction.”
