Political Quotes

“I rise today to talk about yet one more example of how the Bush administration seems to put the needs of Iraq and Iraqis over the needs of America and Americans. We all know that during the first Gulf War there were a significant number of American soldiers who were taken prisoner of war. Under the law passed by this House, we have given permission for those who have been tortured to take legal action against a terrorist state that was responsible for that torture. So 17 American prisoners of war, who were prisoner during the time of Saddam Hussein's regime, brought legal action; and the courts determined that they were, in fact, entitled to just compensation and granted them compensation. Then the Bush administration spent tax dollars to fight that decision, took it to a higher court, and had that decision overturned. Now, these prisoners of war were not seeking money from America. They were seeking money from the Iraqi regime that had tortured them. What kind of torture did they experience? They described being tortured with electric shocks, being threatened with castration, being threatened with execution, being beaten so severely that their bones were broken and that they were permanently disabled as a result of those beatings. This country had frozen over $1 billion in Iraqi assets that would have been used to pay these ex-prisoners of war just compensation, but the Bush administration said this money is needed for the reconstruction of Iraq.”