Tulsa GOP Latest: Congressman John Sullivan opposition remarks to H.Con. Res. 63

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressman John Sullivan spoke on the House floor in opposition to H. Con. Res. 63, the Iraq war resolution. His remarks can be found below:


"Mr. Speaker:

I rise today in strong opposition to H. Con. Res. 63

It is impossible, despite what the Democrat's have claimed, to both support the troops and not support the increase in troops necessary to win this war. With this nonbinding resolution, Democrats maintain they support the troops, but at the same time disapprove of their mission. This confusing message simply lends encouragement to the Iraqi insurgents and terrorists to believe that every roadside bomb brings them closer to their goal of a terrorist state in the heart of the Middle East.

The simple fact is the deployment of troops to secure Baghdad has already begun. In fact, soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division, who were deployed after President Bush's call for a temporary increase in troops, are already in Iraq doing critical work with the Iraqi Security Forces. The passage of this misguided resolution does nothing except demoralize these brave men and women in uniform and invigorate those who wish Americans harm.

The consequences of failure in Iraq could not be greater. The outcome in Iraq will directly affect America's efforts in the Global War on Terror for generations. A victory for the Islamic militants, such as the al-Qaeda members who are embedded in the al-Anbar province of Iraq and the Iranians in Iraq who are provoking sectarian violence, would embolden the enemy to expand the reach of their efforts. Retreat would result in instability in the region, encourage radical Islamic terrorists and rogue regimes to expand into the region and give terrorists a sanctuary from which to launch attacks against the U.S. and the West.

The bipartisan Iraq Study Group recognized the need of a troop surge to secure Iraq. To this end, I ask unanimous consent to submit pages 27-29 and page 73 of the Iraq Study Group report for the record on this issue and to highlight the grave humanitarian consequences of a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. I am tired of
hearing Democrats constantly criticizing our plans for Iraq, yet they do not have a plan of their own. It is a shame that they have chosen to play politics with our men
and women in uniform.

Democrats now have the responsibility to govern, but they lack both a plan for success in Iraq and the political will to advance a bill that cuts off funding for the troops. They say that the problems in Iraq can only be solved by a political solution. While this is true to some extent, you cannot solve the problems of Iraq diplomatically and politically without first providing security to the Iraqi people. Security must go hand in hand with a political solution. Democrats need to understand that their political choices and rhetoric hurt our troops morale and give comfort to the enemy.

We all agree that it is time for the Iraqi's to step forward, end the sectarian violence and build a responsible government. Iraqi Prime Minister al-Maliki has promised the American people that in this new campaign, Iraqi troops will be the ones knocking down doors, arresting insurgents, and patrolling the streets, with U.S. troops in a supporting role. We cannot give up at a critical point in Iraq's fledgling democracy.

Failure in Iraq is not an option. If we do not win in Iraq, we leave it up to future generations to tackle the problems of Islamic terrorism in this unstable region. There is no short term solution in Iraq because it is not a short term problem.

Today, our brave men and women in Iraq are rising to the challenge to secure Baghdad from a vicious enemy, risking their lives for their country and our national security. The message the Democrats send with this resolution as we commit our forces to battle is a vote declaring their inevitable defeat.

I encourage all my colleagues to vote NO on this misguided and ill-timed resolution.
I yield back the balance of my time."