Madam Speaker, this measure will allow us to begin redeploying our combat forces in Iraq and pursuing a new strategy for success.  I voted against giving the President authority to go to war, but I have since voted to give our troops the resources to succeed in their mission.  They have done exceptional work, but they are now being asked to take sides in a civil war – resolving conflicts that stretch back for centuries.  That is not what we sent them to do, and it is time to bring them home.

Let us be very clear about what this bill does, because there is a lot of rhetoric clouding this debate.  Removing our troops from the middle of a civil war does NOT mean we’re abandoning Iraq.  We will continue to train the Iraqi Security Forces.  We will continue to support political reconciliation and economic reconstruction.  We will continue to engage the international community to promote a lasting peace.  Most importantly, we will continue to hunt down al Qaeda wherever in the world they may try to hide.  What we will not do is blindly follow the President’s failed strategy – a strategy that has damaged the readiness of our military without improving our national security.  The situation on the ground has changed, and our plan should be adjusted accordingly.  Sadly, the President has decided to trust his own judgment over that of our military commanders, millions of Iraqis, and, most importantly, the American people.  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation to demand a new direction that strengthens our military and ends the conflict in Iraq.