Dreier Praises President’s Strategy for Victory
Says Pelosi’s Embrace of Withdrawal Demonstrates Wrong Priorities for America

November 30, 2005

WASHINGTON, DC - Congressman David Dreier (R-CA), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, praised President Bush’s speech to the country today again outlining a strategy for victory in Iraq. He also criticized Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for using the President’s speech as an opportunity to embrace a strategy for failure when real progress is being made.

"The President’s speech today outlined again for the American people the true exit strategy in Iraq - the establishment of a stable government and a strong Iraqi Security Force able to defend it. We are making significant progress on both fronts. There’s an election just 15 days away, which will put their new constitutional government into place. Iraqis will be securing that election, as they did in October with incredible success. We are also seeing tremendous optimism from the Iraqi people. A poll conducted by an Iraqi university recently showed that 82 percent of the Iraqi people are confident their lives will be better one year from now. I simply cannot understand why anyone would want to abandon this progress now, at such a critical time, for us and the Iraqi people.

"Nancy Pelosi’s endorsement of Congressman Jack Murtha’s proposal for immediate withdrawal of American forces from Iraq demonstrates once again that she has the wrong priorities for America. Congressman Murtha’s proposal is an honest policy suggestion. I happen to believe it is absolutely wrong for America, our troops, and Iraq. The facts on the ground do not support the contention that nothing more can be done. We need to allow our military the chance to finish the mission they’ve been sent to accomplish. Her embrace today of withdrawal demonstrates very clearly that victory is not her priority."