Ben Cardin: “I welcome the debate on the U.S. role in Iraq, and I urge my colleagues to allow us to vote on the issue. I think each…”

“I welcome the debate on the U.S. role in Iraq, and I urge my colleagues to allow us to vote on the issue. I think each of us was elected to cast our votes and this is the most critical issue that is facing this Nation and we should be able to cast a vote on this issue, hopefully tonight. I urge my colleagues to support the amendment offered by Senators Levin and Reed to the Defense authorization legislation. It is similar to the provisions Congress originally passed on the emergency supplemental appropriations bill that President Bush vetoed. We now have more information than we did 3 months ago when we acted on the supplemental appropriations bill. We know the President's surge policy has not worked. By the President's own assessment, the Iraqis have failed to meet the most important interim benchmarks required for stability in Iraq. The Levin-Reed amendment would change our mission in Iraq to limit U.S. involvement to conducting counterterrorism operations, protecting U.S. forces and military infrastructure during redeployment, and training Iraqi forces. It would set a deadline of April 30, 2008, for all U.S. combat troops to be removed from attempting to quell the civil war in Iraq. We should not wait a single additional day in changing the U.S. mission in Iraq. I have opposed the war from the inception. In October 2002, I voted against giving President Bush the authority to use U.S. troops in Iraq.”