Back To Work On The Issues That Matter
by Charles Schumer
at Huffington Post
Jan 4 2007"This past November, the American people sent us an undeniable message: they want change. For far too long, Congress took its eye off of helping people. In the last Congress, for example, under Republican control, we didn't do anything to make college more affordable, implement the 9/11 Commission's recommendations to make us safer, raise the minimum wage, or hold the President's feet to the fire on Iraq and the War on Terror.
Now, that's all going to change.
Today marks the first day of the new Congress and hopefully a new era of working together on issues that help middle class families. From strengthening our homeland security to making college more affordable, this is what we're all here to do and must get done, starting right now.
Take, for example; the War in Iraq. It now seems that the President will move forward with sending more troops. An escalation in the war, particularly with no change in strategy, makes no sense. We are policing a civil war right now in Iraq. And whether the troops stay three months or three years, as soon as they leave the Sunnis and Shiites will resume fighting with one another and nothing will have been accomplished. The bottom line is we need a change in strategy. Both the Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committee will convene hearings next week to help cerate a change of strategy.
...........SNIP"
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sen-charles-e-schumer/back-to-work-on-the-issue_b_37811.html