Political Quotes

“The Bush administration is still incapable or unwilling to articulate a coherent and workable underlying strategy to accomplish our mission and bring our troops home. Since the power of the purse remains the only effective means that we in the Congress have to ensure the American people that such a strategy exists, and that it has a reasonable chance for success, support for these funds prior to evidence of such a strategy would be an abdication of responsibility. And it will be an abdication if this supplemental passes. We had any number of hearings in the appropriation subcommittees before this bill went to the full committee. Administration witnesses time and again told us they could not comment on a time frame to transition to decision-making with Iraqi leaders, which was the original intent, to establish a democratic government. They had no idea how many troops would be required beyond next September. They could not guess as to what contributions in terms of military assistance or cash would be forthcoming from other nations.”