Karen Thurman: “Mr. Speaker, this is the most important vote that I ever will cast in this House. Deciding when to send our troops into…”

“Mr. Speaker, this is the most important vote that I ever will cast in this House. Deciding when to send our troops into harm's way is never easy and must not be made without serious consideration. My father was a career Air Force sergeant and B-52 tail gunner, and I remember worrying every time he left for a flight that he would not return. So I have some idea of what is going through the hearts and the minds of the families of our troops. And growing up on military bases, I personally knew the people willing to put their lives on the line to protect our great Nation. I see my late father in all of them, and I remain committed to making sure if we have to send our troops into battle that they will have all the support and resources they need. Threat from international terrorism is real. The threat from weapons of mass destruction is real. That is why it was so important to stress that we have moved away from unilateral action. My colleagues and I stood strong on our principles and got the administration to agree to the changes in the Iraq resolution. We felt that these changes were necessary to protect our Nation and the world from Saddam Hussein and ensure that military force would be used as a last resort.”