Today, Rep. Loebsack stated that, as the Iraq war enters its fifth year today, it is long past time for Congress to take action to set a new direction on Iraq.
“In the November election, the American people spoke and they demanded a new direction in Iraq,” said Rep. Loebsack. “The American people made clear that the country must turn away from the failed Iraq policies of the Bush Administration.”
“As we enter the fifth year of the Iraq war, we must stop and take stock,” Rep. Loebsack added. “Our involvement in Iraq has lasted longer than U.S. participation in World War II, World War I, the Korean War, or the Civil War. The war increasingly strains our military and has created a genuine crisis in U.S. troop readiness. As we begin the fifth year of the war, the price we have paid is high. More than 3,000 U.S. lives have been lost, more than 20,000 U.S. troops wounded, and more than $400 billion of taxpayer dollars spent.”
“My highest priority is supporting our troops and ensuring their safety. I strongly oppose the President's plan for escalation and I am working with my colleagues to ensure a safe withdrawal of our troops from the region beginning immediately. We must end the President’s open-ended commitment to the Iraq war and hold the administration accountable for its mismanagement of the war and subsequent failures,” added Rep. Loebsack.
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