War in Iraq
After nearly eight long years of war and incredible costs, President Obama has pledged to bring the war in Iraq to a responsible close and withdraw all of our troops by the end of 2011. We owe all our brave service men and women who served, and continue to serve, in Iraq and their families a debt of gratitude for their service and sacrifice.
I had serious concerns about the Bush administration’s handling of the War in Iraq. From the beginning, this was a war that was sold to the American people and Members of Congress under false pretenses, and despite the administration's claims, no competent postwar plan was ever developed. Almost as troublesome, the Bush administration resisted any real oversight of postwar issues, so even as our soldiers from New York and around the country are facing the challenges of the war, the American people have little way of knowing who to hold accountable for the failures in Iraq.
Thanks to President Obama’s leadership, we have begun bringing this conflict to an end and have refocused our efforts and resources on Afghanistan and those who were truly responsible for the attacks of 9/11.
I have taken a number of actions in response to the situation in Iraq. In the 110th Congress, I was a cosponsor of H. J. Res. 18 introduced by Rep. John Murtha, which laid out a practical plan to redeploy troops from Iraq. I pushed for investigations into the no-bid reconstruction contracts. Since the women of Iraq could actually see some of their rights slip away under a more theocratic government, I repeatedly urged the Bush administration to demand more women's rights in the Iraqi constitution. And when given photos of inadequately-armored Humvees being used in Iraq by New York soldiers, I took action to try to guarantee that all of our soldiers are properly equipped.
Additionally, on April 10, 2006, I held a Town Hall Meeting on the War in Iraq with Rep. John Murtha, a highly decorated veteran who served 37 years in the Marine Corps and authored the House Resolution Calling for U.S. Forces to leave Iraq.
Documents/Reports
05/01/06 - New York Faces of the Fallen
03/27/06 - Town Hall with Rep. John Murtha on Iraq War
