Rob Andrews

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague from Ohio (Mr. Wilson).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from California, Mr. Mike Thompson, 1 minute.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend for yielding. I support this legislation because it will make America safer. Our safety depends upon stability in Iraq. Now, there are two ways to achieve stability in Iraq. The first is to prop up the present government and hope it succeeds. That has failed. The best evidence of that failure is from Iraqi leaders themselves. Last weekend, a Shiite Member of Iraq's legislature said, in the absence of enough security forces, authorities should help residents arm themselves for their own protection. The Sunni president of Iraq said, people have a right to expect from the government and security agencies protection for their lives, land, honor and property, Mr. al-Hashemi said. But in the case of the inability of Iraqi security forces, the people have no choice but to take up their own defense. This government has failed, and we are spending the precious blood of our sons and daughters to prop it up. The second way to achieve stability in Iraq is to compel a political solution. This resolution will do that. It deserves our support.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased to yield 1 minute at this point to one of our very focused new Members, the gentleman from Connecticut, Mr. Chris Murphy.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the distinguished Member of the Ways and Means committee, our friend from Massachusetts (Mr. Neal).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to one of our thoughtful new Members from Florida (Mr. Mahoney).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, may I inquire as to how much time is left on our side?

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to our thoughtful friend and colleague from the State of Georgia (Mr. Scott).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague, the gentlelady from Oregon (Ms. Hooley).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to my friend and colleague from Washington (Mr. Inslee). (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to a member of the Appropriations Committee, the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Moran).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, at this time I'm pleased to yield 1 minute to a former member of our Armed Services Committee, my friend and colleague from Rhode Island (Mr. Langevin). (Mr. LANGEVIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to a leader on our foreign policy issues, the gentleman from California (Mr. Schiff). (Mr. SCHIFF asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I'm pleased at this time to yield 1 minute to the chairwoman of the Small Business Committee, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Velazquez). (Ms. VELAZQUEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend her remarks.)

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield to a very thoughtful colleague, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Price), 2 minutes.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to an energetic new Member, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hare).

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to our friend and colleague, the hard-working new Member from Tennessee (Mr. Cohen).

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Speaker, a few minutes ago my friend from Georgia described buying something he didn't need at a price he couldn't afford. I want to thank him for giving us a perfect description of the last 7 years of the governance of this country under the Bush administration. We got a lot of things we didn't need: a war in Iraq, a misadventure in Iraq at a price we couldn't afford, $4 trillion in new debt under their watch. We got $12 billion a month in Iraq under their watch. This is something we do need and we can afford. Higher college scholarships for American students, lower school loan interest rates for American students. And it is paid for, unlike their massive spending increase, unlike their tax break giveaways to the wealthy, this does not increase the deficit by a dollar. We are changing their failed policy of buying things we don't need at prices we can't afford. They should vote for that change today.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Chairman, I support my friend from Illinois' amendment. Everybody, everybody, in our system is accountable. It doesn't matter what you call yourself. It doesn't matter how you define yourself. When it was convenient for him to avoid scrutiny over the energy bill, the Vice President in 2002 said he was a part of the executive branch and preserved by that privilege. When it was inconvenient for the Vice President to comply with everybody else's requirements regarding classified information in 2005 and 2006, he said he was not part of the executive branch, he was part of the legislative branch. Under our Constitution, what you call yourself does not define your responsibility. What the Constitution says is your responsibility is your responsibility, even if you are Vice President of the United States.

Mr. ANDREWS

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. ANDREWS. If the gentleman would yield, I would certainly have an open mind to his idea should he introduce such a bill.

Mr. ANDREWS. If the gentleman would yield, I, of course, could not commit to a bill I haven't read. But I will say this. If there are sound management environment principles, it's an issue I'd have to take under consideration.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I would urge a ``yes'' vote, and I yield back the balance of our time.

Mr. ANDREWS. Mr. Chairman, I first appreciate the very respectful manner which our friend from Alaska carried on the debate. I yield the balance of our time to my friend from Ohio, who is the cosponsor of this amendment, Mr. Chabot.