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Hot Topics:
IRAQ
& SMART Security Platform for the 21st Century Platform
Floor Statements
To Watch Video of Lynn's Iraq Floor Statements,
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President Obama's Speech Gives New Hope to The World (#317)
Watch Video | | June 8, 2009 | |
| Madam Speaker, I rise to praise President Obama for his historic speech in Cairo last Thursday. By speaking with respect and honesty to the Muslim world, the President built new bridges, bridges of understanding and peace.
The speech contrasted sharply with the approach taken by the previous administration. There was no arrogance or fear-mongering in President Obama's speech. He made no threats. He did not talk about an endless war on terrorism.
Instead, the President called for a new beginning between the United States and the Muslim people. He renewed his pledge that America ``is not--and never will be--at war with Islam.''
He called for cooperation instead of conflict. He courageously acknowledged the mistakes of the past and called for an end to mistrust.
The President marginalized violent extremists by saying, and I quote him, ``The enduring faith of over a billion people is so much bigger than the narrow hatred of a few.''
He defended Israel's right to live in peace while recognizing the Palestinian people's right to a state of their own.
On Iran, President Obama urged diplomacy and reiterated his call for a nuclear-free world. And he advocated for democracy, for religious freedom, economic opportunity and the rights of women and girls.
Madam Speaker, everyone listening to the speech had to be inspired by the President's eloquence and good will. But the President also acknowledged that the speech was just a start. Now we face the hard work, the work of making peace a reality, especially in Iraq and Afghanistan.
On this issue, I've urged the President to move in a bold new direction. I've called upon him to speed up the timetable for the withdrawal of our troops and military contractors from Iraq, and to leave no residual forces behind, because I believe the sooner we return full sovereignty to Iraq, the better.
I voted against the supplemental appropriations action because it will prolong our occupation of Iraq and sink us deeper into the quagmire of Afghanistan.
We must develop a plan to redeploy our troops out of Afghanistan. Otherwise, we'll face another endless occupation, one that will fuel anti-Americanism and promote instability, which actually is happening in Afghanistan and Pakistan today.
We need a whole new approach to the region. Instead of sending in more troops and investing in military solutions that won't work, we should be investing in smart, peaceful power that will work. Smart power means helping the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan to build roads, schools, hospitals, and better agricultural systems. It means helping to create jobs and assisting those who have been displaced by the war. This is what the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan really want from the United States. If we provide smart assistance to them, Madam Speaker, we will defeat the violent extremists. We will bring peace to the region, and we will make America safer. This strategy is at the core of my SMART Security Platform for the 21st Century. This is legislation that is described in House Resolution 363.
Madam Speaker, I encourage all of my colleagues to consider House Resolution 363 and to support it. |
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