U.S. Senator Ken Salazar

Member: Finance, Agriculture, Energy, Ethics and Aging Committees

 

2300 15th Street, Suite 450 Denver, CO 80202 | 702 Hart Senate Building, Washington, D.C. 20510

 

 

For Immediate Release

May 16, 2007

CONTACT:    Cody Wertz – Comm. Director
303-350-0032


 Sen. Salazar’s Statement on Today’s Votes for a “New Way Forward” in Iraq

WASHINGTON, D.C. – “The war in Iraq has now been going on for more than 4 years. We've been in Iraq today for a longer time than we were in World War II.

“In Iraq, the United States has invested ‘life, blood and treasure,’ including the loss of 3,361 American lives, 25,245 wounded and a monetary cost of more than $500 billion.

 

“It is necessary for us to move forward in a new direction in Iraq that will bring about a successful and orderly conclusion to the effort. Last week, I agreed on legislation that would implement the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommendations, which will help provide a framework for how we move forward to maximize our chances of success in Iraq and to help get our troops home in the first quarter of 2008.

“The Warner Amendment that I voted for today is a first step in getting us toward that new direction. The Iraqi people are ultimately responsible for their future; this amendment takes steps to place their future in their hands and helps ensure we have the facts we need to help them. The bipartisan amendment I supported, would:

 

  • Require accountability from the Iraqi government to meet 18 benchmarks, including reducing the level of sectarian violence, increasing independently operating Iraqi security forces and equitable distribution of oil revenues in Iraq;
  • Require an independent assessment by the U.S. Comptroller General to determine whether the Iraqi government has made progress on those 18 benchmarks;
  • Require the President to submit a report to Congress by July 15, 2007 assessing the status of all 18 benchmarks; and
  • Require the President to submit a second report to Congress by September 15, 2007 to update the status level of the Iraqis’ progress on all 18 benchmarks.

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