President Obama took the first key step in restoring America's image and credibility in the world by issuing an Executive Order to close the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay and to prohibit the use of torture by U.S. personnel.

I applaud his judgment and I...

Five years ago today, President Bush addressed our nation and the world from the USS Abraham Lincoln, only forty-two days after he ordered the invasion of Iraq. He declared "Mission Accomplished." 1,827 days later, the U.S. occupation of Iraq continues, and our "mission" remains undefined and open-ended.

President Bush went...

On Sunday, Secretary Gates appeared on CBS's Face the Nation and said, "Eight provinces in Iraq are already under provincial control, where there are either no coalition forces or they are...not involved in combat."

Iraq is divided into 18 provinces and has an estimated population of 27.5 million people. The...

General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker are testifying this week that the "surge" has worked. They claim that violent incidents have decreased and that progress towards victory in Iraq has been made.

When you look at the surge in purely military terms, it has reduced violence. Our men and women...

I make routine visits to our troops in the field and to those recovering at our military hospitals. I'm inspired by their service and dedication to this great country. But, the America they serve and protect today is far different than the America that existed prior to the U.S. invasion...

With Thanksgiving behind us, Americans are preoccupied with the holiday season. What's true about this year, as with every holiday season since 2003, is that tens of thousands of American troops are on the ground in Iraq (130,000 in November 2003 and 175,000 in November 2007), and the President refuses...

Today marks the two year anniversary of my public call for the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq.

Two years ago, I was convinced that the President's lack of strategy in Iraq was harming our military, our international credibility, and the strength of our nation.

Two years later, the President...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, delivered the following remarks today at the National Press Club:

Last week Americans heard the testimony of General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker. General Jones and the GAO have reported their findings...

President Johnson said in 1966, "the solution to Vietnam is patience."

President Nixon said in 1969, "As our commanders in the field determine that the South Vietnamese are able to assume a greater portion of the responsibility for the defense of their own territory, troops will come back."

Today, we...

Today, I voted for both the $22 billion supplemental funding for domestic programs and the $98 billion supplemental funding for our troops in Iraq.

The Democrats in Congress have already sent a supplemental to the president that would have set benchmarks and timelines for the responsible redeployment of U.S....

I just returned from visiting three major army bases: Ft. Hood, Ft. Stewart and Ft. Bragg.

What I found was that the president's policy has forced the military to break its own rotation and deployment guidelines. Our forces have had to accelerate training, they have had to train on...

I have just been informed that the 4th Infantry Division is preparing to deploy to Iraq with only eight months at home and without the appropriate training. This is unacceptable.

The stress on our military due to the manner in which the president has waged the war in Iraq...

Our Military men and women deserve the utmost praise and gratitude for their commitment and valor. I am inspired by their dedication and sacrifice. But the burden of a war that has been so costly in terms of dollars and lives cannot and should not continue to fall solely on...

General Peter Pace testified on Tuesday to the Senate Appropriations Committee that my plan to restore military readiness in order to meet current and future threats and to require the Pentagon to uphold its own guidelines, standards and policies would somehow be damaging on the battlefield.

General...

Today I delivered the following testimony on Iraq to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. My plan calls for (1) the redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq, (2) the execution of a robust diplomatic effort and the restoration of our international credibility, and (3) the repairing...

A year ago, I said this was a failed policy wrapped in an illusion. The President has finally acknowledged this.

Five months ago, we put an additional 10,000 troops in Baghdad. Attacks increased and a record number of Americans and Iraqis were killed. I see no difference between this...

I will be recommending to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense that we begin extensive hearings starting on January 17, 2007 that will address accountability, military readiness, intelligence oversight and the activities of private contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We will be demanding substantive answers to questions that have...

On November 7th, 2006 the American public sent a message on Iraq and as the new Democratic majority, we must respond with decisive action. Staying in Iraq is not an option politically, militarily or fiscally. The American people understand this. Today there is near consensus that there is no U.S....

While the most important thing in Washington, DC over the past few days has been an internal Party struggle, the American people never lost sight, even for a brief moment, of the most important conflict: Iraq. That's clear from the support of bloggers from across the country, phone calls and...

Dear Democratic Colleague,

Yesterday, I received the endorsement of Speaker-elect Pelosi in the race for House Majority Leader, and I am deeply gratified.

Last week the American people spoke and clearly demanded change. We now have a tremendous opportunity to show them that we can deliver, work together, and fix...