WASHINGTON,
July 20 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is a statement by the
President:
Rose Garden
10:42 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT:
Good morning. Thank you all for coming. I'm joined by veterans and
military families who are here to express support for our troops and
their mission in Iraq, and I want to thank you all for being here
today.
We've just
finished a really good meeting. In our discussions, these folks had
a message that all of us in Washington need to hear: It is time to
rise above partisanship, stand behind our troops in the field, and
give them everything they need to succeed.
In February, I
submitted to Congress a Defense Department spending bill for the
upcoming fiscal year that will provide funds to upgrade our
equipment for our troops in Iraq and provides a pay raise for our
military -- it's a comprehensive spending request that Congress has
failed to act on. Instead, the Democratic leaders chose to have a
political debate on a precipitous withdrawal of our troops from
Iraq. The House and Senate are now scheduled to leave for their
August recess before passing a bill to support our troops and their
missions. Even members of Congress who no longer support our effort
in Iraq should at least be able to provide an increase in pay for
our troops fighting there.
When Congress
returns after Labor Day, there will be less than one month before
the fiscal year ends and current funds for Defense Department
operations run out. Congress still has an opportunity to do right by
our men and women in uniform -- and our national security. So today
I call on Congress to take action and get this vital piece of
legislation to me to sign -- on budget and on time.
I also ask
Congress to give our troops time to carry out our new strategy in
Iraq. Like all wars, the fight in Iraq has had frustrating setbacks.
It has also had important successes. We've seen dramatic turnarounds
in places such as Anbar province, which was once thought lost to the
enemy. Just this week, our military forces announced the capture of
one of al Qaeda's top Iraqi leaders. He helped to form what al Qaeda
calls the Islamic State in Iraq, in an attempt to replicate what the
Taliban had created in Afghanistan. Today that leader is under
arrest, and his followers are under siege.
These
successes demonstrate the gains our troops are making in Iraq, and
the importance of giving our military the time they need to give
their new strategy a chance to work.
Earlier this
year, the Senate seemed to share that view. They confirmed General
David Petraeus as commander of our forces without a single
dissenting vote. And now, barely a month after his strategy became
fully operational, many of those same senators are saying that that
strategy has failed.
Our nation
deserves a serious debate about Iraq, because the outcome of this
conflict will have enormous consequences for our country. Failure in
Iraq would allow terrorists to operate from a safe haven with access
to the world's third largest oil reserves. Failure in Iraq would
increase the probability that at some later date, American troops
would have to return to Iraq to confront an enemy more dangerous and
more entrenched. Failure in Iraq would send an unmistakable signal
to America's enemies that our country can be bullied into retreat.
America's
involvement in Iraq does not have to end this way. A free and stable
Iraq is still in reach. It has the potential to transform the Middle
East and bring us closer to the day when radical regimes are
replaced by peaceful allies, when terrorists have fewer places to
train and operate, and when moms and dads in the Arab world see a
future of hope for their children.
One of the
folks with us today is an Air Force Reservist named Eric Egland.
Here's what he said, he said, "We live in the world's oldest
democracy and have been blessed with the strength to protect our
freedoms and to help others who seek the same."
This has
always been America's mission, and today that mission is being
carried out by brave men and women who have stepped forward to keep
our country secure. I thank them and I thank their families for the
sacrifices they're making. And I thank you all for supporting them.
