Raúl Grijalva: “I believe this Congress has a mandate from the voters to start bringing our troops home from Iraq. This is not an option…”

“I believe this Congress has a mandate from the voters to start bringing our troops home from Iraq. This is not an option that we can pursue at our leisure. This is a solemn obligation of absolute urgency. As we speak, preparations are being made to send more of our Nation's sons and daughters to Iraq, with or without our consent, and some are already there. A recent headline in the Financial Times states our predicament: ``Congress is helpless only out of choice.'' The Constitution gives this House, gives this body, if it chooses to exercise it, the power of the Federal purse. No signing statement or political calculation can erase this hard fact. And if we choose to deny that we do have this power, we do a disservice to our Constitution, our constituents, and this body. The escalation in Iraq, as announced by the President the other night, will only deepen our involvement in this debacle. Mr. Speaker, this war is a financial, strategic and moral disaster for this Nation. We need to bring this sad misadventure to an end and start bringing our troops home now. The American people have clearly expressed their view on Iraq in the last election that policy has to be changed by this Congress.”