Washington, DC -- Rep. Peter Welch has signed on as a co-sponsor of two pieces of legislation in the U.S. House that call for a change of direction in Iraq.

"The previous Congress was a rubber stamp for this President's Iraq policy.  Those days are over.  I will vigorously oppose the President's failed policy and reckless escalation of this war," said Welch.

Welch became an original cosponsor of House Joint Resolution 18, sponsored by Rep. John Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran, which calls for an immediate redeployment of our troops from Iraq.  The first section states that "The deployment of United States forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date."

Welch also cosponsored H.R. 353, legislation sponsored by Rep. Edward Markey, that prohibits the President from spending funds to escalate the troop presence in Iraq without prior Congressional approval.

"A change of direction in Iraq is long overdue.  Our open-ended involvement must end and Congress should exercise its power of oversight," said Welch, who has praised the bipartisan Iraq Study Commission for its report outlining such a change.

"Our number one priority must be to end the war and bring our troops home." Regarding future funding of the Iraq war, Welch says he "will view the President's expected supplemental funding request with great  skepticism and scrutiny."