Darlene Hooley: “Mr. Speaker, today is not cause for celebration, nor is it a time for high rhetoric. Instead, today is a moment of…”

“Mr. Speaker, today is not cause for celebration, nor is it a time for high rhetoric. Instead, today is a moment of conscience. Hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent, 3,600 of our best and brightest have been called upon to sacrifice in the unforgiving sands of Iraq. When in a hole, it is best to stop digging. We must make plans to protect those we can best protect, to institute a rational response capability within the region. But first we must make immediate plans to disengage ourselves from Iraq. I urge my colleagues to find consensus on this issue. We owe it to the brave men and women that have sacrificed and will continue to sacrifice until we find and implement resolution. Once we have disengaged ourselves from the Iraqi civil war, maybe, with patience, dialogue and an open ear, we may find new relationships within the Middle East to help our partners secure the peace we have thus far found so elusive. Let us renew our commitment to finding a solution for Middle East conflict. It is time we used our heads and hearts rather than fists and force. I urge my colleagues to join me in voting once again for changing course in Iraq.”