WASHINGTON –Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Menominee) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives this morning during debate on the resolution opposing the President’s plan for troop escalation in Iraq.  Following is the text of Stupak’s speech.  

            “Mr. Speaker, as we wind up this debate on escalating the War in Iraq, I wish to thank Speaker Pelosi for allowing members of Congress to express themselves on the most serious debate that will occur in the 110th Congress.

            “Perhaps more importantly, we should thank the American People for voting for a New Majority which has allowed a ‘free and open’ debate on the President’s plan to escalate the war.  With their votes, the American people have clearly demanded a new direction for the war in Iraq.  Today’s debate symbolizes more than just a debate on escalating the war. This debate symbolizes a new direction for America’s policy in Iraq driven by the American people, not by a President who has lost touch.

            “In October of 2002, just before the general election, President Bush insisted a vote be held on Resolution 114 which allowed him ‘……to use the Armed Forces of the United States, as he determines to be necessary and appropriate ……’ in Iraq. 

“At that time I argued that the United States did not have the moral, legal, or ethical authority to go to war with Iraq and that our Nation would lose its moral authority to speak out against aggression throughout the world.   

            “It would be very easy for me to stand here and remind my constituents that I voted against the war in Iraq.  It is sufficient, however, to simply note that the evidence to justify the war has been repudiated. Rationale for this war has been inadequate. And our Nation’s credibility has been eroded. 

            “While some of us opposed the war in Iraq, our support for our troops has never wavered.  Congress has appropriated the supplies and the resources to ensure that our troops have what they need to accomplish their mission and return home safely. We know too painfully that more than 3,100 Americans have not returned home and more than 23,000 have been wounded.  We have visited with the wounded and comforted the families of the fallen.  We simply cannot allow the President to continue to fight this war as if there were no consequences for our troops, their families, and our country.  By standing up against the escalation of this war we are supporting our troops.

“Because of this war, many lives have been shattered and broken.  I speak of the lives of the family members who have lost loved ones. I speak of the brave troops recovering from wounds at Walter Reed Army Hospital or the recently dedicated amputee clinic in Texas.

“As a Nation, we are comprised of reasonable, noble, compassionate, and determined people.  I believe that it is not in our Nation’s interest to leave a shattered and broken Iraq behind.  Still, we cannot continue with a policy of military might and no diplomatic foresight!  Instead, of military escalation, our Nation should embark upon a diplomatic and political escalation!  The current Administration with its “military might, makes right philosophy” is no longer applicable in Iraq!  This Administration has not seriously focused on the diplomacy and political persuasion necessary to end this war!

“I am struck by the recent news out of Korea. It is reported that after years of negotiations, the Administration may have reached an agreement with North Korea on its nuclear threat.  The journey was long, discussions were difficult, diplomacy was frustrating -----but we may have accomplished our goal without having to go to war!  There is a lesson to be learned here, reflected in the words of an American journalist, Anne O’Hare McCormick, who said:

‘Today the real test of power is not capacity to make war but capacity to prevent it!’

“I call on the Bush Administration and this Congress to escalate diplomacy. I call on the Bush Administration and this Congress to escalate political pressure.   This war is a mistake and what we need now is a President who has the courage to admit his mistake. We need a President who will bring peace and stability to Iraq through diplomacy rather than military force.

“In an earlier time, in an earlier war, a young man spoke out. That young man was Bobby Kennedy and his words have lived with me for many years. So to our service men and women, to my colleagues in the US House of Representatives and to those whose hearts are burden by war, I leave you with Bobby’s challenge:  ‘….diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped each time a man stands up for an ideal …or strikes out against injustice he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope,

and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples

 build a current that can sweep down the mightiest wall……’

“Our vote for this Resolution will not stop the war in Iraq, it will not restore the shattered and broken lives here in America or Iraq, it will not bring peace and stability to Iraq….but it will send a tiny ripple of hope.  I still believe in that tiny ripple of hope, I still believe in diverse acts of courage, and I still believe in the greatness of America!”

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