Senate Proceeding on Sep 19th, 2007 :: 4:05:07 to 4:12:47
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4:04:45 to 4:05:07( Edit History Discussion )

John McCain: as you have so adequately pointed out. i see my friend from illinois is waiting. mr. president, i yield the floor. mr. obama: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. obama: thank

4:05:07 to 4:05:20( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: Thank you, Mr. President. let me begin by expressing my utmost support for the senator from Virginia and to indicate that I am absolutely convinced of his commitment to our troops.

4:05:07 to 4:12:47( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Barack Obama

4:05:20 to 4:05:33( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: there are many people on this senate chamber who understand our military better and cares more deeply about our military. and so i have the highest regard for him. toeuf say that i respect -- i

4:05:33 to 4:05:48( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: have to say that i respectfully disagree on this issue and must rise in strong support of the amendment offered by senator webb to require minimum periods between deployments for members of our

4:06:00 to 4:06:14( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: around the world. that is something that ultimately all of us have to be concerned about. and i am proud to be a cosponsor of this amendment. Mr. President, as i think you are aware, i opposed the

4:06:01 to 4:06:14( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: armed services who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. and this amendment protects our brave men and women in uniform and ensures that our armed forces retain their ability to meet any challenge

4:06:14 to 4:06:31( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: war in iraq from the beginning, and i've called repeatedly for a responsible end to the foreign policy disaster that this administration has created. over 3,700 american servicemen and women have died

4:06:31 to 4:06:44( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: in this war. over 27,000 have been seriously wounded. each month this misguided war costs us a staggering $10 billion. and when all is said and done, it will have cost us at least $1 trillion. now

4:06:44 to 4:06:56( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: there are different views of the war in this chamber, but there is no disagreement about the tremendous sacrifice of the men and women who are serving in iraq and afghanistan. they performed valiantly

4:06:56 to 4:07:12( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: under exceedingly difficult circumstances. they have done everything that we have asked of them. but they have also been stretched to the limit. the truth is that we are not keeping our sacred trust

4:07:12 to 4:07:25( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: with our men and women in uniform. we are asking too much of them, and we are asking too much of their families. we owe it to our troops and their families to adopt a fair policy that ensures predictable

4:07:25 to 4:07:37( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: rotations, adequate time to be with their families before redeployment and adequate time for realistic training for the difficult assignments we are giving them. our service men and women will always answer

4:07:37 to 4:07:52( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: the call of duty, but the reality is that extended deployments and insufficient rest periods are taking their toll. the effects of the strain are clear. increasing attrition rates, falling retention

4:07:52 to 4:08:05( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: rates among west point graduates, increasing rates of post-traumatic stress disorder and unprecedented strain on military families. the webb amendment is a responsible way to keep our sacred trust while

4:08:05 to 4:08:19( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: restoring our tphoeult an appropriate state of readiness. it ensures that members of our armed forces who are floyd to iraq -- who are deployed to iraq or afghanistan he at least the same amount of time

4:08:19 to 4:08:28( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: at home before they are redeployed. it would ensure members of a reserve component including the national guard cannot be redeployed to iraq or afghanistan within three years of their previous deployment.

4:08:28 to 4:08:42( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: after four and a half years of fighting in iraq and almost six years of fighting in afghanistan, we owe it to our troops and their families to provide them with a more predictable schedule with sufficient

4:08:42 to 4:08:54( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: time home between deployments. as the military officers association of america, which represents 368,000 members has stated -- and i quote -- "if we are not better stewards of our troops and their

4:08:54 to 4:09:07( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: families in the future than we have been in the recent past, the military officers association of america believes strongly that we will be putting the all-volunteer force at unacceptable risk."

4:09:07 to 4:09:21( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: there are scores of anecdotes that bear out the strain on our families. one woman from illinois recently wrote to my office to tell me how her husband was facing his fourth deployment in four and a half

4:09:21 to 4:09:29( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: years. she described how her husband had spent so much time in iraq that in her words, "he feels like he is stationed in iraq and only tkhroeus home." -- deploys home. that is not an acceptable way to

4:09:29 to 4:09:40( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: treat our troops. it is not an acceptable way to treat their families. this amendment is not only important for military families, it is also important for our national security. our military seupl phreup

4:09:40 to 4:09:52( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: cannot sustain its current deployments without crippling our ability to respond to contingencies around the world. this is all the more important since the administration has squandered our resources

4:09:52 to 4:10:06( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: on the war in iraq and neglected to address serious threats to our safety. according to the national intelligence estimate in july, al qaeda has -- and i quote -- "protected or regenerated key elements

4:10:06 to 4:10:19( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: of its homeland attack capability, including safe haven in pakistan's tribal areas, operational lieutenants, and its top leadership." ensuring the readiness and capabilities of our troops will be crucial

4:10:19 to 4:10:32( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: to confronting the threat of al qaeda in afghanistan and other parts of the world and deterring other threats to america's national security. over the coming months, i will continue to push for a new course

4:10:32 to 4:10:45( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: in iraq that immediately begins a safe and orderly withdrawal of our combat troops. changes our military mission to focusing on training and counterterrorism that puts real pressure on the iraqis to resolve

4:10:45 to 4:10:59( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: their grievances and that focuses our military efforts on the real threats facing our country. and, mr. president, i just want to point out, as i said, i do not doubt the sincerity of any of my colleagues

4:10:59 to 4:11:17( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: on the other side with respect to their concern about our troops. but, the larger problem that we have here is that we seem to think that our troops and our resources are inexhaustible and that we

4:11:17 to 4:11:29( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: should keep on pouring them into a failed policy. it is a failed policy that needs to be changed. but a first step in changing that failed policy is acknowledging that our military has hit up next

4:11:29 to 4:11:43( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: to its limits and that there are costs for us to continue down the wrong course that we have taken. unless we can acknowledge that much, that in fact this is straining our military and that we are

4:11:43 to 4:11:58( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: putting enormous strains that will have long-term consequences, then we will not have the clarity to move forward and recognize that it is time to start bringing our troops home. so, mr. president,

4:11:58 to 4:12:11( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: i believe that this amendment is an important part of that new course. it is reasonable. it is something that the american people would overwhelmingly support. and i strongly urge my colleagues to support

4:12:11 to 4:12:21( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: this proposal. mr. president, i have a -- i have unanimous consent request, ten unanimous consent requests for committees to meet during today's session of the senate. they have the approval of the majority

4:12:21 to 4:12:34( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: and the minority leaders. and i would ask unanimous consent that these requests be agreed to and that these requests be printed in thein record. the presiding officer: is there objection? without

4:12:34 to 4:12:47( Edit History Discussion )

Barack Obama: objection, so ordered. mr. obama: mr. p resident, i yield the floor. mr. chambliss: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from georgia. mr. chambliss: mr. president, i was on the floor when

4:12:47 to 4:13:04( Edit History Discussion )

Saxby Chambliss: the senator from virginia, senator warner, made his comments a little bit earlier, and i hope a lot of the american people were listening to what senator warnerne had to say, because there's nobodyno in

4:12:47 to 4:25:05( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Saxby Chambliss