The invasion of Iraq may be the greatest foreign policy failure of any
Administration in our nation's history. More than 4,000 American
soldiers have been killed, many thousands have suffered life-changing
injuries, and the war is costing us $10-15 billion a month. The Bush
Administration argued that the President's open-ended military
commitment and surge in troops would create an opportunity for the
Iraqis to make political progress, but the Iraqis have not made the
political compromises necessary for reconciliation and an end to their
civil war.
It is time to bring our troops home. I have repeatedly cosponsored
and voted for legislation that would begin an immediate redeployment
in a safe and orderly fashion, leaving a tactical force to protect
U.S. assets and personnel, engage in limited missions against al-Qaeda
and other terrorist groups, and train Iraqi security forces.
We must reject the blank check this President continues to request for
his war in Iraq. Our troops have done everything we have asked of
them. We owe it to them and their families to hold our government
accountable and to push for a new direction that brings our troops
home. I also have worked hard to improve the health care and
rehabilitation services provided to our veterans when they return
home, including a recently enacted program to identify and treat those
who have suffered from traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic
stress disorder.
