Rep. Rahm Emmanuel (D-IL) on the House floor today:
Mr. Speaker, President Bush was recently asked about the differences between himself and Vice President Cheney. The President downplayed any distance, but the differences are clear. In defending his decision to escalate the war in Iraq, President Bush said 'I'm the Decision-Maker.' And recently, despite some of the most violent months in Iraq, Vice President Cheney said that the war had been a 'success.' So, the difference: Bush is the decider and Cheney is the denier.
And the result is a broken policy.
As today's Washington Post reports, the troops being sent to Iraq are going without adequate equipment. Once again, American troops are being sent into harms way on the cheap. As Yogi Berra said, 'It's Déjà vu all over again.'
Democrats and Republicans have supported every funding request made for the Iraq war - and we will continue to stand behind our troops. But we cannot and will not accept the failed policies of the past that left our troops without the equipment they need.
Mr. Speaker, ultimately it comes down to a simple question: Who's the decider and who's the denier?
