Bob Menendez: “20 years ago, in the early, overcast hours of March 19, 2003, American stealth bombers and Navy cruise missiles hit…”

“20 years ago, in the early, overcast hours of March 19, 2003, American stealth bombers and Navy cruise missiles hit Baghdad in the first strikes of the Iraq war. When I think about that war today, I think about the costs--the costs to the Iraqi people, who suffered so terribly, including the families of the hundreds of thousands killed in the insurgency, and the sectarian and ethnic violence that followed the U.S. invasion. I think of the costs to the brave American servicemembers who answered the call, who didn't ask whether it was right or wrong but just answered the call--almost 5,000 who made the ultimate sacrifice-- and to the tens of thousands more who were wounded; to the countless sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, friends and loved ones who had to grieve those they lost and care for those who came home wounded, with scars both visible and invisible, changed by combat forever. I think about the financial costs--almost $2 trillion that could have gone to rebuilding America's infrastructure, caring for America's sick and aging, and educating our next generation. I also think about the costs of something very close to my heart, which is the cause of freedom and the fight for democratic values.…”