Washington, D.C. -  Congressman Joe Donnelly offered these remarks in favor of the Iraq resolution that expresses support for our troops and opposition to the President's proposal to send more than 20,000 additional troops to Iraq.  Below are excerpts of his remarks as prepared for delivery:

Our service men and women are the finest in the world - the best trained and the most dedicated. They are incredibly fine soldiers and people.  They deserve a clear mission in Iraq; they deserve to have all the protective equipment and armor needed to keep them safe; they deserve to have all the funding required; and they deserve to have the best leadership in the field and the finest military planning in Washington.

What our brave troops do not deserve is Washington's bungling.  We had bad intelligence at the start, a flawed occupation plan that failed to send enough troops, and Washington failed to properly plan for critical logistics such as electricity and infrastructure.  With these issues in mind, I sent a letter to the Administration over one month ago asking for specific answers as to how this surge would increase our chances for success in Iraq  As of this date, I have yet to receive any answer from the Administration. 

“I have spoken to veterans in Winamac and Osceola, Indiana, to constituents at restaurants and churches, and to concerned Hoosiers throughout my District.  I have also met with Iraq Study Group co-chairman Lee Hamilton, military representatives and my colleagues.  What I have heard consistently is that our brave troops should not be placed in the middle of an incredibly dangerous Iraqi civil war. Two recent surges by American troops did not bring additional security or stability to Iraq, and I am not convinced that this surge will be any different. May God bless America and our troops serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and throughout the world.