Oren Shur: 202-224-4524

Susan Sullam: 410-962-4436

WASHINGTON - In response to the Joint Resolution introduced today by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) to transition the United States' policy on Iraq, Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD) released the following statement of support:

"As Iraq falls deeper into civil war and American soldiers continue to die on a daily basis, a change in course is long overdue. In order to bring about success in Iraq, we must transition the focus of our mission to diplomacy and start reducing our troop levels. This resolution achieves those objectives and I am proud to support it.

"As the Iraq Study Group and even some of President Bush's own military advisors have said, the Administration cannot end the violence in Iraq by simply increasing our military presence. It will take an escalation in American diplomacy, not an escalation in American troops.

"Senate Republicans must stop using procedural roadblocks and allow this resolution to be debated and come to a final vote. Every U.S. Senator has a responsibility to make his or her position on the war known to the American people."

As a Member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Cardin voted against giving the President authority to invade Iraq in 2002. He has been a consistent critic of the Administration's management of the war and has long called on the President to start reducing our troop levels and engaging the international community in Iraq's reconstruction.