Haley Stevens: “The supplemental the President has submitted provides a clear strategy for achieving our goal of an early restoration of…”

“The supplemental the President has submitted provides a clear strategy for achieving our goal of an early restoration of full sovereignty to the Iraqi people and for making additional progress on the war on terrorism. I want you and your colleagues to know that we are making every endeavor to operate in a transparent and accountable manner. But any major cuts of specific portions of the President's request will impact the scope and pace of reconstruction efforts, which in turn will delay the return home of the U.S. troops. There is no doubt that these funds will help contribute to the peace and stability of not only Iraq but eventually the entire region. That is the dream the Secretary of State explained to us yesterday, that we are moving forward in a region that has had instability for a century, and what has been needed is a key country such as Iraq turning toward a democracy, turning toward involving people. Just listening to the people who have seen and talked to the young people in school, we now know that young women in Iraq are going to school for the first time because of this country. A whole new generation will not just have men educated but will have men and women, who are going to participate in their own government. They want to do that. There has been an overwhelming reaction in Iraq toward freedom. We want to hold it back? We want to put up some gates and say you can go just this far, but you have to come back to Congress for more money? When?”