Earl Blumenauer: “Thank you, Mr. Obey. Mr. Murtha is right; it wasn't Bill Clinton that sent our troops into Iraq without appropriate…”

“Thank you, Mr. Obey. Mr. Murtha is right; it wasn't Bill Clinton that sent our troops into Iraq without appropriate equipment and without a plan to win the peace, it was the Bush administration. The war against Saddam Hussein was over in a few weeks, yet for over 3 years they have been trapped in a deadly crossfire of an Iraqi war. This bill is not micromanaging the war, it is the next logical step as Congress rediscovers its voice and its constitutional responsibility as a coequal branch of government. This weekend 15,000 Oregonians made clear that this day cannot happen too soon. This is hard for me. I have never voted for a supplemental appropriation on this war, but I will vote tomorrow for the first enforceable deadline. It is what Americans want, and it is what our troops and their families deserve.”