I believe that America needs a new direction to secure our country and combat terrorism so our children, and our children's children, will live in a safer, more secure world.
On May 1, 2003, President Bush declared that "Iraq is free... major combat operations in Iraq have ended." Yet, in the more than 3 years since, our world has not become a safer place and our military families continue to suffer.
More than 130,000 US troops are serving in Iraq and more than 10,500 members of the selected reserved have been deployed more than three times. Ninety-seven percent of the National Guard combat and special operations battalions have been mobilized since September 11, 2001 and the average tour of duty for National Guard members is 342 days.
2,553 of our men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice. This includes 11 from the district I represent in East Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley: Private First Class Jose Casanova Jr, age 23, Lance Corporal Manuel Ceniceros, age 23, Lance Corporal Francisco Martinez Flores, age 21, Sergeant First Class Kelly M. Bolor, age 38, Lance Corporal Benjamin Gonzalez, age 23, Corporal Jorge Gonzalez, age 20, Sergeant Atanacio Haro-Marin, age 27, Specialist Leroy Harris-Kelly III, age 20, Corporal Stephen Johnson, age 24, Corporal Rudy Salas, age 20, and Marine Corporal Carlos Arellano, age 22.
Another 10,327 have been injured, not including more than 8,500 who have been injured so badly they cannot return to action. I strongly support our servicemen and women - they have performed admirably under extremely difficult conditions. These conditions have been worsened by the lack of needed supplies and our men and women continue to serve without a plan to secure the peace.
Today the Government Accountability Office testified that Congress has appropriated $430 billion to the Department of Defense for the global war on terror. According to the GAO, "Neither the DoD nor the Congress reliably know how much the war is costing." The GAO also testified that the US "can expect to incur significant costs for an unspecified time in the future, requiring decision makers to consider difficult trade-offs as the nation faces increasing long-range fiscal challenges."
We have seen some of the trade-offs already. Critical programs remain unfunded, and under-funded, by this Administration and our veterans are suffering. There is at least a $3 billion gap in needed services for our nation's veterans. The number of new veterans waiting for health care appointments at the VA has risen by 400% over the last two years.
Funding for homeland security is suffering, too, as a result of the Bush Administration's misguided policies. First responder grants have been slashed by 59%, only 5% of containers entering U.S. ports are screened, and there are 800 fewer border patrol agents than what was authorized in the 9-11 Act.
Afghanistan is also suffering under the Bush Administration's misguided policies. Secretary Rumsfeld wrote in a letter today that "The United States maintains its strong commitment to Afghanistan's success...we look forward to continuing our strong partnership."
Yet the people in Afghanistan are not feeling that commitment. Between November 2003 and April 2006 the number of insurgents has quadrupled from 5,000 to 20,000. The average number of daily attacks by insurgents has climbed to more than 70! The Afghan defense minister recently stated that Afghanistan needs 5 times the number of security forces to address the issue of a resurgent Taliban, and without them Afghanistan is in real danger of collapse. If his warnings were not enough, just today the Taliban recaptured two towns in a southern province near the Pakistan border.
Despite the increasing conflict in Afghanistan, despite the lack of a plan for peace in Iraq, despite the lack of accountability for government contracts, despite the tradeoffs on homeland security and important first responder programs, the Bush Administration wants the United States to stay the course.
I could not disagree more. War and military might alone does not show strength and a foreign policy rooted in unilateral and preemptive action does not achieve peace.
America needs a new direction. We must find Osama Bin Laden, secure loose nuclear materials, and combat the social and economic and political conditions that allow extremism to thrive. We need to renew our alliances, enact a GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century to ensure our veterans receive the benefits and care they have fought for, secure our ports, screen our cargo and implement the recommendations of the 9-11 Commission.
We must seize the moment and insist on a new direction for America so our children and our children's children will live in a safer, more secure world. I look forward to working with my colleagues to secure a new direction for America.