This war has dragged on too long, longer than our involvement in World War II. Staying the course isn’t working and I, for one, am not convinced it ever will. The only way we can succeed in Iraq is to fundamentally change the dynamic. The language embraces this idea by offering a new plan, one that eventually should allow for our forces to be withdrawn from Iraq.

The proposal establishes a goal of redeploying most of our forces from Iraq in the next 12 months. It doesn’t mandate that all the troops are removed by that date. To the contrary, it mandates that forces remain in Iraq to protect United States and coalition personnel. It also stipulates that U.S. forces continue to train and equip the Iraqis, so that they can better defend themselves, and it directs that we continue counter-terrorist operations in Iraq. This is a balanced plan. It recognizes that we still have military responsibilities in Iraq, and will continue to do so even a year from now, but it will force the Iraqis to fight their own civil war if they insist on doing so.

We all know that there are very few military objectives to be achieved in Iraq. We defeated the Iraqi army four years ago. We won that part of the war, the part that the military can win. We failed in not preparing for the aftermath of direct conflict and now we are enmeshed in an untenable position. Our military has performed remarkably. They have achieved their military objectives. But the plan to rely on the military to achieve political objectives has not worked. And what we need is a political solution. Read more...

The war supplemental spending bill marked up the Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday includes key provisions regarding our way forward in Iraq, in addition to providing the funds our troops need to carry out their mission.

Though I am not in favor of the bill’s provision that sets a goal date for troop withdrawal, I supported the overall bill because I successfully included language that would establish clear, measurable benchmarks for the Iraqi government to meet as conditions for our troops staying in Iraq. My proposal also requires the U.S. Commander in Iraq to provide regular reports on the progress of the Iraqis in meeting the benchmarks.

There are two priorities with regard to Iraq. First, provide the necessary resources to our troops to carry out their mission. Second, continue the discussion about U.S. policy in Iraq and the future role of the U.S. military there. The benchmarks included in the supplemental successfully transfer accountability for Iraq's success to the Iraqis and requires regular reports to Congress on their progress. That information can be used by Congress to make future decisions about U.S. military presence in Iraq. Read more...

Everybody ought to appreciate former Vice President Al Gore's passion and his willingness to put his considerable prestige on the line. But passion isn't the same as truth, inconvenient or otherwise. Mr. Gore says global warming will raise the seas by 20 feet, but the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says 23 inches, tops. Mr. Gore forecasts more hurricanes, but the World Meteorological Organization won't back him up. Neither will the UN's World Health Organization support his prediction for plagues of malaria. They know, and evidently he doesn't, that people can catch malaria anywhere -- even including freezing Siberia -- because the disease follows poverty, not temperatures.

Here's something else to know. The former vice president forecasts a future based on the past, but the past is a head-scratching mystery even to real climate scientists. Last summer, National Academy of Sciences President Ralph Cicerone was asked in a hearing about temperatures and CO2 observations covering the 400,000 years. Under oath, he said that 'the only evidence that seems clear is that there were times when the warming preceded the CO2 and the cooling preceded the loss in CO2, but they were nearly linked in time.' Read more...

I am deeply disappointed with the Democrat majority’s rejection of my amendment to the budget bill that would protect small businesses and working families from runaway costs created by federal mandates.  The amendment would have required a 60-vote threshold for the Senate to approve measures that impose new unfunded mandates, which are burdensome and costly dictates requiring businesses to take on additional regulatory duties and foot the bill themselves.

A prime example of the so-called ‘unfunded mandate’ can be found in a recently-introduced bill that would dictate the number of paid sick days private employers must provide their employees. Generally, unfunded mandates can be any laws requiring private business to carry out additional duties, such as record-keeping or report-filing, without providing the money to pay for those added duties. Read more...

Yesterday I joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to introduce an amendment to the fiscal year 2008 budget resolution that would increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) by $44.2 billion over five years, starting with a $10.3 billion increase in 2008.  This funding would be paid for by eliminating President Bush's tax cuts for the very wealthy - those with a taxable income above $1 million.

The federal government is supposed to pay 40 percent of a state's special education costs, with the rest subsidized by the state and local governments.  However, the federal government has not made good on its commitment!  This means local districts must make up the difference by skimping on special education, cutting from other education programs, or raising taxes.

I want to do what's best for families and schools. I don't want to force states and local school districts to forage for funds, cut back on teacher training, or delay school repairs because the federal government has failed to live up to its commitment to special education.  Read more...

Having spoken with Speaker Pelosi (D-Calif.), I believe that this is the best bill the House can successfully pass that will end the war and bring our troops home from Iraq.  This is not the bill that many of us want, it's the best bill we are likely to get, and I am going to support it.  This bill is historic in that it sets a date-certain for the withdrawal of troops.  That is certainly a step in the right direction.  I respect the Speaker's judgment, and believe that we should give her plan a chance.

Our servicemen and servicewomen have performed courageously in Iraq, and we are deeply grateful for their sacrifice and unflagging commitment. They have served our Nation admirably, despite inadequate planning by the Bush Administration. This war has cost us 3,200 American lives and over $400 billion. Our troops and our country have sacrificed enough.
Let's bring them home.

Yesterday we heard from Vice President Al Gore about his views on Global Warming.  During his testimony, he said that he believes that no new coal plants should be built in the U.S. unless they are carbon-capture ready.  A carbon capture-ready plant, without actually capturing carbon, is configured differently than non-carbon capture-ready plant, and is much more inefficient.  This amounts to increased carbon emissions until the carbon capture equipment is installed.  Yet, the recently released MIT Coal Study tells us that carbon capture is not credible until it has been commercially demonstrated -- and it hasn't been.

With all due respect to the Vice President, I hear from my constituents every day that electricity prices are too high.  ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, has said that unless new generation capacity is built in Texas, we will not have enough electricity to ensure reliability within the next 5-10 years.  I believe that we need to keep the lights on, while continuing to invest in technology -- and demonstration.