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If Depleted Uranium is Safe, Let Them Prove It
House of Representatives - May 17, 2005

Madam Speaker, today on behalf of 21 original Democratic co-sponsors, I am introducing the Depleted Uranium Munitions Study. The stakes could not be higher for U.S. soldiers and Iraqi civilians, and there is not a moment to lose, and I hope the Republican leadership will put it on the Suspension Calendar.

Watch this floor speech [Click here to get Windows Media Player]

DU, as it is called, is a byproduct of the uranium enrichment process. It is toxic and has low-level radioactivity, and it is widely used by the United States military in Iraq.

There are countless stories of mysterious illnesses, higher rates of serious illnesses and even birth defects. We do not know what role, if any, DU plays in the medical tragedies in Iraq, but we must find out.

The Pentagon says there is no evidence that DU is harmful; yet the Pentagon also says soldiers should wear protective gear, including special clothing and a respirator, using DU. An Iraqi child has no protective gear. The Iraqi people have no respirators. If DU is so safe, why do American soldiers need to wear protective clothing in the first place?

We do not know if DU is safe or harmful; yet we have used 150 tons in the war so far.

Let the Pentagon prove that it is safe.