A New Direction

Floor Speech

A NEW DIRECTION -- (House of Representatives - May 01, 2007)

(Mr. LARSON of Connecticut asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Madam Speaker, 4 years ago, the President declared victory onboard the Abraham Lincoln.

Indeed, our troops have performed valiantly and achieved military victory. There is no question about that or their performance. But 4 years later, we find ourselves still in a quagmire, a quagmire that even the head of the CIA said was now all trumped up with misinformation, misled the country, sacrificing brave men and women and their lives in Iraq.

What we need is for the President to step up and recognize what the American people are calling for: a new direction. Refocus on Afghanistan, go after the terrorists where they are, go after Osama bin Laden, the people who actually took down the tower, and end this quagmire. And the only reason that we are there and continue to lose lives, because there is no mission other than arrogance and hubris that has led this President to stay this course in spite of the sacrifice by our brave troops and men, when 61 percent of the Iraqi people say it is okay to kill Americans, that sectarian violence is okay, and in the midst of the civil war is not where we belong.

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