Great to hear from you Senator Johnson! :kick:
Look forward to hearing more from the Senate floor when your ready. :)
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Washington, DC—U.S. Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today released a statement on the effort to keep the Senate chamber in session all night Tuesday to highlight the need for a vote on a change of strategy for Iraq. The debate focuses on an up-or-down vote on the Levin-Reed amendment to the Defense Authorization bill, and the minority’s efforts to block that vote. Johnson said:
Now that this war has lasted longer than World War II, it is long past time for our nation’s elected officials to conduct meaningful discussion on the war. Tonight’s debate is not a stunt; it is about doing the right thing for our country, our servicemembers, and the people of Iraq. As the father of a soldier who fought in Iraq, I understand the concerns of parents and family members across this country. More than 3,500 U.S. soldiers, including 22 South Dakotans, have become casualties of this war.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. We have helped bring democracy to Iraq, but the Iraqis must now take the lead and end the violence. A majority of Americans believe we have done all we can do militarily. It is time for us to find the safest and most expeditious way to give Iraqis control of their country.
With the surge of troops in January, President Bush acted on only one of 79 recommendations offered by the bipartisan Iraq Study Group. The report made clear that the surge should be used to support Iraqi Army brigades as they grew in size and scope of responsibility. We have not done all that the Iraq Study Group recommended. It is time to enact the diplomacy portion of the report. It is time to transition our mission to one that focuses on training Iraqi security forces, conducting counter-terrorism operations, turning power over to the Iraqis, and decreasing the American footprint in Iraq.
link:
http://johnson.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=279172
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