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Congressman Pitts Votes
to Prolong the War...
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Here is what our
Representative said in Congress during the Iraq debate before he
voted against the resolution. You should know exactly what your
representative is saying. Once again let me thank the tens of
thousands of PA-16 voters who wanted to make sure there was a
different representative and a different speech and certainly a
different vote. Let us keep up the energy and momentum to elect
a Democrat to replace Joe in 2008.
Senior Editor:
Lois K. Herr |
"Mr. Speaker, as a Vietnam veteran who served three tours during
Vietnam and flew 116 combat missions over there in B-52s, I rise to
oppose this resolution.
I am sure I don't speak
for every Vietnam veteran, but I am sure I speak for a lot of them
when I say that when we served in combat we detested the politicians
in Washington who undermined our efforts to win, politicians who
criticized the war effort, politicians who sought to micro-manage the
war, politicians who set the rules of engagement from thousands of
miles away.
These politicians were
anything but helpful. They undermined our efforts and our morale. They
made us fight with one hand tied behind our backs. They demoralized
our forces and our allies and our families. And, their words and
political efforts grated on our families back home.
Mr. Speaker, it was wrong
then and it is wrong now. Our troops need and deserve our full
support.
I don't question the
proponents of this resolution's patriotism. I question their judgment.
What we are debating this week is called a nonbinding resolution. What
that really means is that this is nothing more than a political
statement. It is designed to send a message to the voters and to the
media to score political points, I guess. But this resolution is not
about President Bush or failures of his administration, this is about
America, it is about our future, it is about our kids and our
grandkids. And, unfortunately for them, this resolution offers no plan
to win the war, no plan for the future.
For months we have heard
the other side criticize the President for offering a stay-the-course
strategy in Iraq. Now that the President has offered a new strategy,
the other side wants the status quo, to stay the course. The American
people want a new direction in Iraq, but not a retreat or a defeat.
This is a stay-the-course
resolution. It opposes sending in reinforcements to help achieve
victory, as the Iraq Study Group suggested that we do on page 73 of
their report.
Now, I am not suggesting
that the military is the only solution to winning the Iraq war. It is
only one leg in a three-legged stool, which also should include
diplomatic, political, economic efforts as well. But it is absolutely
an indispensable part of the solution. To undermine the military
effort is wrong and will guarantee defeat.
The left wants us to fight
a politically correct war. They believe that if we stop fighting the
war will end. They are wrong.
Some of us met with
ambassadors from the Middle East yesterday. The ambassadors voiced
strong opposition to withdrawing troops from Iraq. They said to do so
before the Iraqi Government is able to sustain itself would lead to
catastrophe, catastrophe in Iraq and catastrophe in the region. They
are right. If we stop fighting, the consequence will be disastrous.
Our terrorist enemies will be greatly emboldened and empowered.
Countless Iraqis will be slaughtered. Genocide will occur. The
terrorists will become even a bigger threat to the region,
destabilizing and possibly igniting a regional war, and they will
surely follow us home to fight here. And our allies will never trust
our resolve again.
If we don't defeat the
Islamic terrorists in Iraq, then let me ask you, where will we do so?
Mr. Speaker, the world is
watching the Pelosi Congress. Will we show them that our determination
to succeed is stronger than the terrorists? If this war is lost, it
won't be lost by our magnificent troops in the field, it will be lost
in the Halls of this Congress by politicians who want to micromanage
our military. And that is why I ask my colleagues to consider the
consequences of this vote and this war.
The long-term consequences
are momentous. What will it mean for your kids and grandkids? What
kind of world will they inherit? What will it mean for the Middle
East? What will it mean for our allies in the Middle East? What will
it mean for the future of our great country?
Make no mistake about
this. This resolution will harm our troops who are sacrificing for the
cause of freedom. It opposes sending in reinforcements to troops in
battle. Our troops deserve and need our support. The arm chair
generals in Congress who have never served in combat say, We will not
abandon you, while they undermine our troops and their mission, while
they deny them reinforcements.
This vote is a vote for
failure in Iraq and chaos. We should insist on victory in Iraq. This
resolution does not support victory, it supports failure. We must
defeat the terrorists, we must protect America from Islamic
terrorists. Defeat this resolution."
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