Congressional Black Caucus
"The Conscience of Congress since 1969"
www.congressionalblackcaucus.net

(Washington, D.C.) - Congressman William Lacy Clay (D-MO) will deliver the weekly CBC “Message to America” radio address this Saturday, February 18, 2006.  Congressman Clay urges President Bush to end the war in Iraq and to bring U.S. troops home.
 
The CBC “Message to America” is distributed nationwide to the American Urban Radio Network’s (AURN) affiliate stations.
 
            WHO:        Congressman William Lacy Clay (D-MO)
            WHEN:      Saturday, February 18, 2006; 12:06 p.m. EST
            WHERE:    American Urban Radio Network Affiliate Stations
 
Congressman Clay is expected to deliver the following remarks:

Hello.  This is Congressman William Lacy Clay of Missouri and I am pleased to speak with you today on behalf of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Three years ago, I warned President Bush that the invasion and occupation of Iraq would be a tragic mistake.  I never believed the Administration’s spin about weapons of mass destruction.  I never believed the nonsense about Saddam Hussein’s alleged links to Al Qaeda and the September 11 attacks.  And, I certainly didn’t believe that Iraqi oil revenues would pay for this unnecessary war.

So, I voted against the resolution to authorize the use of force.  And now, here we are three years later.  The president still has no real plan to win and no credible plan to get out. 

U.S. taxpayers have spent $300 billion in Iraq and the meter is still running. That money isn’t even included in the massive budget deficit that will exceed $400 million for fiscal year 2007.

But, there is also a much greater cost, one that we can never recover.  As of today, according to the Department of Defense, 2,373 U.S. soldiers have been killed in Iraq and over 16,000 have been wounded. And, the International Red Cross estimates that at least 32,000 innocent Iraqi civilians have been killed. 

Our troops are magnificent.  I salute their courage, their bravery and their great sacrifice.
But we have done all that we can do in Iraq and it is time to bring them home.

I want to address my thoughts especially to the young people of this country.  More than three decades ago, young Americans were the first voices to demand an end to the lies about Vietnam.  Because they loved their country, they asked their government to finally tell the truth.  Because they loved their country, they demanded an end to the senseless violence.

I hope today, young Americans will once again rise up and use their voices to send that message to the president and to the Republican leadership who started this war based on a false premise.

This is Congressman William Lacy Clay.  Thank you.  May God bless you and may God continue to bless the United States.

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