WASHINGTON, DC - House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (MD) released the following statement today after President Bush's speech on Iraq:

"Today, President Bush once again offered more of the same old arguments in an attempt to reverse plummeting support for his failing Iraq policy.  Rather than facing the reality on the ground, the President continues to ignore the facts.

"President Bush acknowledged that limited political progress is being made on the national level in Iraq, despite the fact that the troop escalation was intended to make such progress possible.  While the President cited the agreement reached on Sunday by Iraq's political leaders as a success, this agreement has failed to convince Sunnis to rejoin the government, and the resulting legislation still faces a long, difficult road ahead in Parliament.  Thus far, the escalation has failed to result in the political progress necessary to create a secure and stable Iraq.

"The gravest danger we face today is terrorism, and the way to defeat it is not by remaining stuck in the middle of a sectarian conflict in Iraq.  We must begin a strategic redeployment of our troops from Iraq and refocus our efforts and energy on the war on terror.

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