Senate Proceeding 02-06-07 on Feb 6th, 2007 :: 1:26:35 to 1:40:54
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1:10:28 to 1:26:35( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Patty Murray

1:26:22 to 1:26:35( Edit History Discussion )

Patty Murray: calls, they answer, no matter the cost to them or their families. they are our best, they're our brightest, they're our bravest. and i hope to give them a voice in this debate. while most americans

1:26:35 to 1:26:47( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: today are going about as normal, our troops and their families are quietly making tremendous sacrifices. the burdens of this war have not been shared equally, and we owe so much to those who shoulder

1:26:35 to 1:40:54( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Christopher Dodd

1:26:47 to 1:27:00( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: those heavy burdens. now i had a chance to visit service members from my home state on the ground in kuwait and in baghdad. every one of them makes us proud. i sat down with service members and

1:27:00 to 1:27:15( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: their families at camp murray at mcchord air force base, at fairchild air force base. i've talked with returning service members in every corner of my state and i have worked to help get them the health

1:27:15 to 1:27:24( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: care and the benefits and transition and support they deserve. my home state of washington has made tremendous sacrifices to help us fight and win the war on terror. to date, more than 59,000 service

1:27:24 to 1:27:36( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: members with a washington state connection have served in operation enduring freedom and operation iraqi freedom. currently there are nearly 10,000 people with a washington state connection who are

1:27:36 to 1:27:53( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: serving in o.e.f. and o.i.f. according to the department of defense, as of january 20 for o.e.f. and o.i.f., 702 service members whose home of record is washington state have been injured. that is 702

1:27:53 to 1:28:07( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: injured from my state. in addition, 66 service members whose home of record is my home state of washington have made the ultimate sacrifice. and the number's even higher when you include those who

1:28:07 to 1:28:21( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: have a connection to washington state. each one of those brave americans is someone whose mother or father, sister or brother, daughter or son, their families are never going to be the same. their communities

1:28:21 to 1:28:35( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: will never be the same. and i offer my prayers for those who have sacrificed for our country. we owe them a debt that can never fully be repaid. and after nearly four years of losses and misrepresentations

1:28:35 to 1:28:49( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: and miscalculations, the american people have said they want a new direction in iraq. generals have spoken out calling for a new direction. the iraq study group, bipartisan called for a new direction. and

1:28:49 to 1:29:01( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: yet, president bush has ignored everyone and is now pushing to send even more of our troops, american troops into the middle of a civil war. he is wrong, and a bipartisan resolution is the first step

1:29:01 to 1:29:12( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: we can take in helping to forge a new direction. but now what we have here on the floor of the senate is republicans who are denying us a chance to vote for that new direction. in fact, they're preventing

1:29:12 to 1:29:27( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: us from even debate the merits of that direction. now they may have stopped us from moving forward last night, but they cannot stop this debate forever. the american people won't allow it. madam president,

1:29:27 to 1:29:45( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: if the republicans stop their obstruction and start allowing us to debate this misguided surge proposal, there are plenty of questions we have to ask. what would be the impact of a surge? how would it

1:29:45 to 1:30:01( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: affect our men and women in uniform? will it put more of them into the cross-fire and cause more deaths and injuries? madam president, my home state -- my state is home to fort lewis and two of the army

1:30:01 to 1:30:12( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: striker brigades. how is a surge going to affect them? will some members see their current deployment extended? will others see their deployment date moved up? will all of them have the equipment they

1:30:12 to 1:30:28( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: need when they're there? those are the first questions we have to ask. how will the surge affect our ability to care for our returning veterans? we're having trouble meeting their needs today. how are

1:30:28 to 1:30:41( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: we going to do this job in an escalated war? in listening to this debate today, i've heard several senators on the other side tphapbd -- demand ideas from democrats. and my first response is simple.

1:30:41 to 1:30:53( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: to discuss ideas, shouldn't we discuss first the president's ideas? he is, after all, the commander in chief. that's the point of these resolutions, to foster a debate on the president's plan for the

1:30:53 to 1:31:06( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: future of iraq. but the senate republicans won't allow that. the republicans' obstruction and the president's decision so far have left us with very few options. i'm looking at every resolution and

1:31:06 to 1:31:21( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: every proposal, and i'm looking forward to having hearings and getting the facts and moving forward in a bipartisan way. personally, i believe the way forward should include three steps: first of all,

1:31:21 to 1:31:32( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: we should strategically redeploy our troops. secondly, we should work with iraq's neighbors and other countries in the area to build a regional framework. and, third, we need the iraqis to take ownership

1:31:32 to 1:31:47( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: of their own country and their own future. we can send troops for decades and never have a peaceful, stable iraq until the iraqi people are willing to work together for a purpose that is larger than their

1:31:47 to 1:32:02( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: own tribe or their own sect or their own self. i believe we need to refocus our efforts on the war on terror, on fighting al qaeda and on addressing the other challenges that threaten our security.

1:32:02 to 1:32:19( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: i'm very concerned by the reports that we hear about afghanistan, sliding backwards and becoming more unstable. so those are some of the steps i would take to improve our security. and that is the

1:32:19 to 1:32:33( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: debate we ought to be having. before i conclude, madam president, let me just address two concerns. first, some people have suggested that if you question the president's policies, you are somehow hurting

1:32:33 to 1:32:49( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: our troops. well, as the vice president would say, hogwash. supporting our troops means giving them a clear mission, making sure they have the equipment and support they need, and making sure we have a clear

1:32:49 to 1:33:02( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: end game. if any of those critical ingredients are missing, it is our duty to question the policy until we provide our troops with what they need. sending more americans into the middle of a civil

1:33:02 to 1:33:22( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: war without a clear mission, without equipment, without support, without an end game is endangering our troops, not supporting them. i don't shrink from war, madam president. i voted for the war in

1:33:22 to 1:33:34( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: afghanistan. my father served in world war ii and he was injured in combat. i know war is sometimes necessary, but i also know that if we don't answer the critical questions, our troops pay the price.

1:33:34 to 1:33:51( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: and for too long partisans have claimed to be speaking for our troops but have blocked the discussions that could truly protect them. i say no more. finally, madam president, some people say that a

1:33:51 to 1:34:10( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: nonbinding resolution is not enough, and i agree. and that's why this is a first step. we can't take the other steps until this congress goes on record in a bipartisan voice telling the president the surge

1:34:10 to 1:34:25( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: is wrong. once we have done that, the ball's in the president's court. but today senate republicans are preventing us from getting there. if he still won't change course, we'll look at the other

1:34:25 to 1:34:38( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: tools before us. senators have discussed a wide series of steps that we could take. i will review all of them. we're also holding hearings to find out what options we can take. so, madam president,

1:34:38 to 1:34:49( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: this is the first step. and if the president doesn't hear us, we'll take the next step and the next step and the one after that. now, i understand that many americans are frustrated that our troops

1:34:49 to 1:35:08( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: are in the middle of a civil war. i'm frustrated too. i wish we'd been allowed to start this process, these hearings and these debates and votes a long time ago. but we are moving aggressively forward

1:35:08 to 1:35:24( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: now. democrats have been in charge now for just five weeks, and already, finally we're having more debates, more hearings, more progress than we have had in the past three years. but i can promise

1:35:24 to 1:35:37( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: you, this is only a beginning. but we cannot have these debates if the republicans are blocking us in an open discussion of the war. republicans need to stop denying a real debate here in the

1:35:37 to 1:35:49( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: senate so that together we can move our country in a new direction. i believe that for us to really have an impact, congress had to speak out with a clear bipartisan voice. we could vote on hundreds

1:35:49 to 1:36:11( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: of resolutions that make us feel better, but that won't help us change direction. it is a strong bipartisan message from congress to the executive branch and to the country that has the power to

1:36:11 to 1:36:29( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: make progress. i ask for one additional minute. the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. murray: i'm willing, madam president, to take the time and do this right and to build the support we need

1:36:29 to 1:36:50( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: so that at the end of the day, we can have a real impact. madam president, i strongly oppose the surge. i believe escalation is the wrong direction. i will vote to put the senate on record opposing

1:36:50 to 1:37:07( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: the surge if the republicans will end their filibuster. and i will continue to fight for a new direction in iraq. for too long the voices of our troops and our citizens have been blocked. and today

1:37:07 to 1:37:26( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: senate republicans are trying to continue that obstruction. i say no longer. the debate must begin because our country will be better for it. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. a senator:

1:37:26 to 1:37:50( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: madam president? the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. dodd: madam president, how much time? the presiding officer: the senator has 15 minutes. mr. dodd: i thank the chair. first of

1:37:50 to 1:38:06( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: all, madam president, let me commend my colleague, the senator from washington, for her comments and her views. and i associate myself with many of the things that she just expressed here on the floor

1:38:06 to 1:38:26( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: of the senate. and i congratulate her for her words and her passion and her strong feelings about where we stand today on this issue. let me also commend the democratic leader for his efforts to engage

1:38:26 to 1:38:42( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: in what i think is probably the single-most important debate this body could possibly be engaged in. there are other very important matters obviously here at home and around the globe, but i think

1:38:42 to 1:38:56( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: everyone would agree regardless of your views on policy that the issue of iraq and where we stand and the suggestion, the effort by the president to increase the number of troops on the ground

1:38:56 to 1:39:09( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: in iraq, and particularly to place them in the large, highly densely populated urban areas of iraq is a serious, serious matter that has provoked serious debate outside of this chamber. we've had wonderful

1:39:09 to 1:39:26( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: hearings, madam president, conducted by chairman biden of the senate foreign relations committee over the last number of weeks on this issue, with people who represent a variety of ideological perspectives.

1:39:26 to 1:39:45( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: and yet without fear of contradiction, i believe that the overwhelming majority of the witnesses who have appeared before that committee have expressed serious reservations about this escalation, this

1:39:45 to 1:40:01( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: surge placing some 21,000 of our young men and women into baghdad to try and act as a referee in what we all i think admit today is clearly a civil war. and so having this debate is important. and

1:40:01 to 1:40:17( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: i want to take, if i can, the few minutes allotted to me here, madam president, to express my concerns about the process, my concerns about the surge, and my concerns about the overall direction of

1:40:17 to 1:40:34( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: the policy in iraq. there's not a lot of time to do that, but let me share some thoughts. first of all, it shouldn't require repeating. i'm somewhat shocked to suggest that members would have to stand

1:40:34 to 1:40:54( Edit History Discussion )

Christopher Dodd: here and defend the notion that every single one of us, i believe, in this chamber, regardless of our views on the issue before us regarding iraq would do everything in our power to see to it that

1:40:54 to 1:41:15( Edit History Discussion )

John Kerry: men and women in uniform serving in harm's way would receive everything they could possibly need to make sure they can defend themselves. that ought not to be a debating point here. i know of no one in

1:40:54 to 2:06:15( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: John Kerry