Jay Inslee: “this is not a debate about whether or not to fulfill our moral obligation to continue to work in Iraq. It is a debate…”

“this is not a debate about whether or not to fulfill our moral obligation to continue to work in Iraq. It is a debate about how to do it. It does not matter how we got into Iraq. We are there now. Americans of all stripes, those who supported the war and those who oppose it, know in their hearts that we are united in our desire to support our proud troops in the field and to continue our work in Iraq. I will be joining the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Stupak) and others in an attempt to increase the pay of those men and women who are making such a sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan tomorrow. But we owe these proud Americans in the field more than just that. We owe them a willingness to make some measure of sacrifice at home that is even the smallest fraction of the sacrifice they make overseas. The bill before us takes the irresponsible road and fails to truly call upon us at home to actually pay for the costs of this war. This bill proposes to avoid any sacrifice at home by stealing every single dollar it spends from the Social Security trust fund to wage this war. Every single dollar proposed to be spent will deplete the very funds that will be depleted by the forthcoming retirement of the baby boom generation. Every single dollar spent will be new debt foisted upon the shoulders of our children. Every single dollar that will be borrowed could hinder our economic recovery. Why is this? Why is this short-sighted way being taken?…”