Statement of U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek Regarding the Iraq War Supplemental Bill

 

 

Washington, DC – Congressman Kendrick B. Meek issued the following statement following today's two House votes passing the Iraq War Supplemental Bill.

In his statement, Congressman Meek said:

"I am committed to ending this war. Since the Democratic Congress returned to the Majority, I voted to end President Bush's troop surge in February; I voted for benchmarks to impose restrictions on the White House to responsibly begin the withdrawal of our troops from Iraq; I voted to override President Bush's veto of our bill to force the Iraqi government to meet basic benchmarks of governance and accountability; I voted for the Defense Authorization Bill, which imposes readiness standards on our Armed Forces; and I voted for a responsible, total and complete redeployment of our troops from Iraq.

"My position on the Iraq War is clear: I am against the continuation of this war. It does not make us safer; the American people do not support it; even our closest allies in the world have withdrawn their troops from it, leaving us to fight it virtually alone; and a majority of the Congress wants to put an end to it.

"By contrast, time and again, the majority of Republicans in Congress have voted for the continuation of the war in blind support of the President. That is their record of failure. We intend to correct that failure. We tried to do that earlier this year, but we did not have the votes to overturn the President's veto.

"But we will keep up the pressure, and we will continue to work for the votes we need. In July, Congress will vote on the Defense Appropriations Bill and in September, Congress will vote on the Iraq Supplement for FY08. It is my hope that those votes will accomplish what the American people want, and what the Democratic Congress will force the White House to do - to bring an end to this failed war.

"It is important to keep in mind the big difference between opposing the misguided policy of the war, and supporting the brave men and women who are doing their duty in fighting it. This legislation continues to fund our troops through September 30, 2007. It is not a blank check; it is a lifeline to our troops in the field who cannot be left without the proper equipment and ammunition while serving in a theater of war.

"This legislation also includes other needed provisions. It raises the minimum wage from $5.15 per hour to $7.25 per hour, the first increase in nearly ten long years. It provides $2 billion in additional funding for health care programs for our veterans. It provides $1.1 billion for family housing allowances not requested by the President. It provides $1.6 billion for a strategic reserve readiness fund, including $1billion to purchase Army Guard equipment. It also provides $3 billion for Mine Resistance Ambush Protected vehicles to provide our troops better protection from Improvised Explosive Devices that will ultimately save lives."

Congressman Kendrick B. Meek (D-FL) represents the 17th Congressional District which includes parts of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee.

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