Issues
The War in Iraq
It’s time for Congress to chart a new bipartisan direction for the war in Iraq.
The Bush Administration has made tragic blunders in Iraq. We must now demand that the Congress assert its Constitutional role and check the delusional policy of escalation adopted by President Bush.
As a veteran and parent, I believe the recent expansion of the war is not what most Idahoans want or expect.
Our government is based on a system of checks and balances among the three branches of government. During the course of the Iraq War, Congress has failed in its Constitutional duty of oversight. Instead, the Congress has been merely a rubberstamp for the Administration in a war that has rolled on without proper accountability.
The path to our eventual withdrawal from Iraq must now go through Congress in reasserting its Constitutional responsibility. The Congress should follow the lead provided by the Iraq Study Group. We should begin a withdrawal of our brave troops, re-deploy some troops within Iraq, and turn over military operations to the Iraqis.
Nine Republicans and nine Democrats, with many years of expertise, signed off on the historic, bipartisan Iraq Study Group report led by former Secretary of State James Baker and former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton. The report stated, “Our political leaders must build a bipartisan approach to bring a responsible conclusion to what is now a lengthy and costly war. Our country deserves a debate that prizes substance over rhetoric and a policy that is adequately funded and sustainable. The President and Congress must work together. Our leaders must be candid and forthright with the American people in order to win their support.”
A debate in Congress on the war has finally begun. Positions remain polarized, but there is movement toward bipartisanship. A majority of the Congress must reject a failed policy and chart a way forward for a responsible end to the war.
We must chart a new way forward in Iraq that will provide a withdrawal timetable while protecting our strategic interests abroad and strengthening our security at home.
We need to make certain that the needs of our troops and their families are addressed at home as we rebuild our military’s infrastructure.
The next step is up to Congress, and the clock is ticking.
