Vicente Gonzalez: “I would like to establish a ground rule for all my colleagues, and that is, regardless of how you vote on this…”

“I would like to establish a ground rule for all my colleagues, and that is, regardless of how you vote on this resolution, no one will question your patriotism. If we can just start with that benchmark, I think we will have a higher degree of debate and in good faith. Mr. Speaker, this resolution is about duty and responsibility, the duty and responsibility that Congress owes to our men and women in uniform. Our first duty is to make wise and educated choices in identifying a threat, the necessity of action and the legitimacy of the goal before committing or continuing to commit more of our troops to the war. When considering this resolution, which reflects that an escalation of the war is unwarranted and is not in the best interests of our Nation and our troops, each of us must ask one fundamental question: Is escalating and continuing the war in Iraq worth fighting and dying for? Because that, in the final analysis, is what we decide. We seek an answer to this question, but we must be ever mindful that the courage and bravery of our troops is never questioned. Our soldiers' valor and commitment are not diminished by the errors in judgment made by their civilian leaders. The question is whether the mission in Iraq is worth their sacrifice. As we move forward with this decision, we must recognize the lessons of history, or we are doomed to repeat its grave mistakes.”