The House Holds Heated Floor Debate on U.S. Troops’ Withdrawal from Iraq

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• KWAME HOLMAN:

  For the first time since they authorized the use of force in October 2002, members of the House of Representatives launched into a full day of debate on the Iraq war, tussling over what the military campaign has achieved so far and what needs to be done before American troops can return home.

  REP. ADAM PUTNAM (R), Florida: Morale is high, and they are confident in the success in this mission.

  REP. LLOYD DOGGETT (D), Texas: There's a better way to honor our troops than sending more of them off to be killed.

• KWAME HOLMAN:

  Democrats repeatedly attacked Republican leaders for tying the debate to a single, non-binding resolution which praises the troops but also links Iraq to the war on terror and rejects setting an arbitrary date for troop withdrawal. Ike Skelton of Missouri is the Armed Services Committee's top Democrat.

  REP. IKE SKELTON (D), Missouri: I take a back seat to no one in supporting our American military and their families, no one. But before us is a resolution that is not the fulfillment of a promise that we were given. We were told we would be able to have a debate on Iraq; that's not the case.

• KWAME HOLMAN:

  North Carolina Republican Walter Jones agreed and had his hands tied together to demonstrate that members who wanted simply to discuss a timetable for withdrawal were being shackled by the resolution.

  REP. WALTER JONES (R), North Carolina: We're going to have a resolution that is hollow, no meaning, except to say, "Thank you," which we do that every day. There's nothing wrong to say, "Thank you," but why don't we have some meat? Why don't we have some policy issues in this debate so that we can meet our constitutional responsibilities?