Speeches
Pelosi: House and Senate Passage of Iraq Bill Takes Us in a New Direction in Iraq
04/26/2007
Washington,
D.C. – Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke at a press conference in the Capitol this
afternoon with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, senior House and Senate
Democrats, and Iraq war
veterans after the Senate passed the Iraq Accountability Act by a vote
count of 51 to 46.
Below are Pelosi’s opening
remarks:
“Thank you very much, Mr. Leader.
“It is with great pride that I
stand with you after the passage in the Senate today, and yesterday in the
House, of this legislation that takes us in a new direction in
Iraq .
“I have said that the war in
Iraq is the greatest ethical
challenge facing our nation. How ethical is it to send our troops into harm's
way, into war without the training, the equipment and a plan for success? How
ethical is it to place them in the middle of a civil war, undermining and
straining our military?
“How ethical is it to do that, to
diminish our capacity to fight the war on terrorism, to fight any threat to the
interest of the United
States wherever it may occur, at home or
abroad?
“How ethical is it to destroy our
reputation in the world, diminishing our ability to be a force against terrorism
and a leader in the world?
“In the last election, the
American people called for a new direction. Nowhere were they more firm in that
new direction being necessary than in the war in Iraq .
“This legislation presents that
new direction by supporting the troops; indeed, giving the president more than
he asked for, for the troops; by honoring our commitments to our veterans.
“How ethical is it for us to
dishonor our commitment to our veterans when they come from war, instead of
treating them as the heroes they are?
“It holds the Iraqi government
accountable. It holds the Administration accountable as well. And it helps to
rebuild our military.
“It's a good bill. It's a bill
for a new direction in Iraq . It is a bill that, hopefully,
will wind down this war and bring our troops home safely and soon.
“And it is an honor for me to
present one of those veterans of the war in Iraq, a person who is part of the
initial invasion of Iraq and has been very outspoken in his opinion of what is
happening there, John Bruhns.”