(Washington, DC, March 23, 2007) — Stating that it set realistic benchmarks for bringing an end to the war in Iraq and for bringing the troops home by next summer, Delegate to Congress Donna M. Christensen hailed today’s passage of H.R. 1591, the Troop Readiness, Veterans Health and Iraq Accountability Act.  The bill passed the House 218 to 212 on Friday afternoon.

“I like many of my colleagues would have preferred to have a bill before us that would get our troops out of Iraq tomorrow, or even in three months,” Delegate Christensen said in one of many floor statements this week. “But that is not doable, it is not realistic,” she said. “The next deployment ceremony will be difficult as they all are, but our passing this with the readiness, tour, and redeployment provisions should make it a little easier,” she said.

Delegate Christensen said that the sentiment in the Virgin Islands has been overwhelmingly against the Iraq War from the outset. “I can’t vote, but at least I was able as Assistant Whip to work on getting the votes needed for the bill’s passage.  It is not a perfect bill, but I believe that it responds to what the American people want.  While I would like for our troops to be redeployed earlier, it is the best we could get.”

Delegate Christensen noted that the bill provides for equipment, training, protective gear and armor, exactly what soldiers and their families have been asking for the past four years.  “More funding is channeled to Afghanistan where the war needs to be brought back on track and where we need to make up lost ground in the real war on terrorism,” she said. 

She also pointed to the domestic issues funded in this measure. “Agriculture disaster assistance, State Children’s Health insurance, payments for rural schools, better homeland security preparedness, and finally doing what we ought to have done two years ago for the victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma,” she said. “I am proud of the Democratic leadership, especially Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn for delivering on our promise to the American people,” she said.