United for American Soldiers

UNITED FOR AMERICAN SOLDIERS -- (House of Representatives - April 27, 2004)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I address the House today to call for a higher level of political dialogue and to request that we set aside the recent onslaught of partisanship concerning the war in Iraq.

Being in Kansas over the last several weeks has reminded me of the need to come together, to unify behind our forces fighting overseas. While not everyone will agree on the reasons they got there or whether these reasons justify war, the reality is that American soldiers are engaged in battle. Our troops are fighting for the rights that we have in this Chamber that we must uphold: The cause of liberty, of justice, and freedom from oppression.

This Congress adopted a resolution authorizing the use of force on October 16, 2002 with a vote of 296 to 133.
In recent weeks we have seen the reports of some of the deadliest fighting of the war. We have received reports daily that another soldier has been killed and that another young person has died. Timing is important and priorities must be established. I believe there are legitimate questions to be asked and answered about intelligence that we received before the war, but now we have thousands of troops that are depending upon Americans to unite behind their efforts. Partisan fingerpointing surrounding the 9/11 Commission is not productive, either to the Commission or to the troops. It undercuts the jobs our troops have loyally agreed to do.

These are not Republicans or Democrats in Iraq, these are American soldiers, our men and women, our sons and daughters, our neighbors and friends, fighting so that the people of Iraq might have a chance for a better tomorrow and to reduce the threat of a terrorist attack on our own country.

These are critical times. Historically during times of crisis, some of our greatest leaders have risen above the partisanship of the moment to unite behind our troops and our President. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, from my State of Kansas, is just one example. Following the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion, Eisenhower emerged from his farm and from retirement to meet with President Kennedy and to defend the President's actions.

Eisenhower understood. He knew what it was like to be President, but he also knew what it was like to be on the front lines as a soldier. He knew that criticizing the President during difficult times would provide encouragement to our foes and weaken our Nation's resolve. Eisenhower knew that using war for partisan gain would only serve to undermine the mission of the troops and dishonor the sacrifices of their families.

But today candidates and elected officials alike rush to the evening cable news shows to berate President Bush, to the detriment I believe of the troops he commands, diminishing the validity of their efforts. I am troubled as I imagine a soldier or a soldier's family listening to insensitive remarks, wondering if the soldier will be forsaken by a country whose call to duty he or she answered. Our soldiers and their families deserve better. Partisanship for the sake of scoring political points has no place on the front lines of the war.

Last week, a friend told me, "This is just another Vietnam." Well, I thought a lot about that and concluded it is only another Vietnam if we create that environment. I came of age during the Vietnam era. I remember the protests, the body counts, the escalation and the retreat. This is not today's Vietnam, not unless we choose to make it through inconsistent policies, contradictory strategies and weakened resolve. We can win both the war and the peace in Iraq, and emerge having given the people of Iraq and the region new reason for hope.

An e-mail from a Fort Riley soldier arrived in my office this month and ended with this quote: "You have never lived ..... until you have almost died ..... for those that have fought to protect it ..... freedom has a special flavor ..... the protected will never know."

Mr. Speaker, I call upon my colleagues and all Americans to think of our men and women overseas before they rush to criticize the conduct of this war. Our soldiers' efforts must be upheld and honored. I do not consider it unpatriotic to question governmental decisions, but what we need today are politicians who put country above partisanship and their Nation ahead of the next election. We need statesmanship.

By unifying behind our troops and their efforts, by requiring our political and military leaders to develop not an exit strategy but a winning strategy, and by making certain that the Iraqi people fully fight for the future of their own country, we can sustain our troops and the mission can be accomplished. With consistent policies, clear strategies, and a firm resolve, we can avoid the war in Iraq becoming just another Vietnam.

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