Kendrick Meek: “Mr. Ryan, losing kids? We are losing 47-year-old Reservists. We are losing granddads in some instances that are still…”

“Mr. Ryan, losing kids? We are losing 47-year-old Reservists. We are losing granddads in some instances that are still serving our country, Mr. Speaker, in the Guard, in the Reserve, active duty. When you look at this, again, the Iraq government must meet the Bush benchmarks for reform. Mr. Speaker, once again, this is not what the Democratic Congress put benchmarks on the Iraqi government for. The President of the United States of America, the Commander in Chief, marched down this aisle, walked that way and went up there to that rostrum right under where you are standing, Mr. Speaker, and said if they don't meet the standards and do X, Y and Z, then we are not going to be there forever. What is wrong with following the leadership, especially when you talk about accountability? What is different this time, Mr. Speaker, is when the President has made those statements in the past, he had a rubber stamp Congress willing to do anything that he wanted them to do. But now you have a Congress that put forth legislation that will allow Members of the minority party, the Republican Party, Mr. Ryan, to vote with Democrats, for accountability, there is that word again; oversight, there is another word we use all the time; and to head in a new direction as it relates to Iraq. We have said that 100 times. I think that is important, making sure that strategic redeployment of U.S. troops in combat by 2008, and reforming military efforts on Afghanistan and the fight on terrorism.”