Reps. Hodes & Yarmuth Denounce Republican Filibuster on Iraq

"Do Senate Republicans really want to obstruct the process on the most critical issue of our time? The American people are demanding change in Iraq. And while a majority of Senate Republicans refuse to listen, nearly a dozen Republicans have said that the Administration must change its strategy in Iraq. These Republicans need to realize their their words are important, but they will only have meaning if they choose to act and support the Levin-Reed amendment. We all know that President Bush has no intention of making any changes in his war policy. And so it is up to Congress to force that change, which is why last night's all-night debate in the Senate is so important."

"The American people no longer listen to our president when he says that the situation in Iraq is improving. And they received more proof last week that the President's 'New Way Forward' strategy, the so-called surge, is only inflaming Iraq's civil war. Casualties among US forces have surged and the political process in Iraq has halted. The President's policy has produced few results on the ground, and yet he is asking both the American people and the Congress for more time. Mr. Speaker, President Bush has had four years to make his policy work and the situation is not getting any better. It is time that we get back to fighting the real global war on terror so that Al Qaeda does not continue to gain strength in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Senate has a chance today to follow our lead."