Photo: Department of Defense
Like all five Democrats in Oregon's Congressional delegation, I was opposed to the war in Iraq from the beginning. It was a mistake for Congress to give a blank check to a President who never had a coherent rationale for war. Now, we need to get out of Iraq -- and soon. If the U.S. still has military forces in Iraq when I take office in 2009, I will begin work immediately on withdrawing our troops within six months. I would also push for the new president to take up the Baker Commission's recommendation and try to re-engage the regional and international powers that are vital to helping reduce violence and stabilize the country. I believe that new leadership in the White House, coupled with the clear signal that the Congress will no longer support an indefinite military commitment in Iraq, will create a real opportunity for regional diplomacy to rebalance the burden of reconstruction.
I am still amazed by the administration’s ability to sell this war to Congress. The terrorists who attacked on 9/11 didn't come from Iraq; most of them came from Saudi Arabia. And yes, Saddam Hussein was a bad man and a bad ruler, but we can't afford to invade every dictatorship in the world. As to "weapons of mass destruction" - first of all, as we now know, they weren't there. Second, if we can negotiate with North Korea, which actually had nuclear weapons, why couldn't we have negotiated with Iraq – especially since United Nations weapons inspectors were actually on the ground in Iraq when Bush decided to go to war?
Perhaps the most outrageous thing about our invasion of Iraq was that the Bush Administration had no plan for what it would do once it got there. Having no plan, the administration proceeded to make a number of terrible mistakes, like disbanding the army and most of the civil service - institutions that could have helped keep the country together. If Congress - and especially supporters of the war like Senator Smith - had asked the administration some very tough questions about its plans for Iraq, the fiasco in that country could have been avoided. Even if the war had been pursued, Congress could have postponed it until the administration proved they had a clear plan for what it was actually going to do to secure the country.
Taking Care of Our Veterans
Millions of Americans have honorably served our country in Iraq, Afghanistan and other points across the globe – trying to protect us from harm and make the world a better place. But this Administration has let them down – first dispatching them to a wretchedly conceived and poorly planned war and now extending tours of duty and sending members to serve a second, third or even fourth tour in Iraq. But regardless of the wisdom of this war, we must never turn our back on the men and women who have served so bravely and sacrificed so much. It is my pledge that as Oregon’s next U.S. Senator I will fight every day on behalf of our service members and their families. It is the least I can do to repay the debt we all owe them.
Provide for the Health and Recovery of our Wounded Warriors and their Families
There are nearly two million uninsured veterans in America and that number is rising rapidly, according to a recent study by Harvard Medical School. Delays and difficulties in treatment at Walter Reed and other Veterans’ Administration (VA) facilities have been a national embarrassment in recent years. I pledge to fight relentlessly to get our heroes the care they need. Specifically, we must:
- Eliminate the waiting periods, bureaucratic delays and restrictions on eligibility this Administration has used to deny our wounded warriors access to VA services.
- Dramatically expand treatment and rehabilitation services for veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Thousands of men and women are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan with TBI, with symptoms sometimes not appearing for months or years. The VA must have the staff and services to take care of these veterans.
- Ensure that mental health services, including treatment for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), are available for all in need – especially those veterans returning for Iraq and Afghanistan. All service members being sent into combat should have access to mental health screenings and counseling opportunities.
- Recent expansion of the TRICARE program to provide health coverage to National Guard and Reserves members is an important first step, but insurance is useful only if providers will accept it. The TRICARE reimbursements rates for mental health services and several other areas should be reevaluated to ensure that these members and their families can obtain care in their communities.
- Expand the number of disability claims workers at the VA and standardize their training. This will reduce the substantial backlog in returning veterans seeking a disability claim to support themselves and their family.
- Adopt all of the recommendations of the Shalala/Dole Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors including simplifying the Defense Department and VA disability systems and expanding assistance for families providing home care to injured soldiers.
Reduce the Retirement Age for Those Serving in the National Guard and Reserves
Members of the National Guard and Reserve services are increasingly asked to perform as active-duty soldiers, accepting long, and sometimes repeat, deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Repeated, extended activations make it more difficult to sustain a full civilian career and will impede Reservists' ability to build a full civilian retirement, yet they are not eligible for military retirement benefits until they turn 60. In contrast, many federal employees are eligible to retire at 57. The Congress should lower the retirement age for National Guard and Reserves members who have served a full 20 years – at minimum bringing it into parity with the Federal Employees Retirement System.
Stop the Outsourcing of Military Duties to Private Contractors
The appalling behavior of Blackwater USA contractors in Iraq is perhaps only the most famous example of the dangers and drawbacks of outsourcing the defense of our nation to for-profit contractors. The men and women of our military are proud to serve their country and do a fine job protecting us from danger. It is an insult to their dedication and sacrifice that we are now turning over military responsibilities to corporations trying to maximize their bottom line. It’s the wrong approach and, as a U.S. Senator, I would oppose it.
Smart Defense Spending
America needs a strong defense. But we need to get our priorities straight. First, we need to recognize that in today's environment, humans are more important than hardware. We need more people who can speak Arabic much more than we need hugely expensive weapons systems designed to fight the long-defunct Soviet Union. Former Reagan Undersecretary of Defense Lawrence Korb has been railing against wasteful weapons systems for years. Even TIME magazine recently did an expose on the boondoggle known as the V-22 Osprey. We need to make smart investments with our defense spending that protect our security, while avoiding pointless arms races and weapons proliferation.
Rebuilding America’s Global Reputation
Whether we choose it or not, our nation is in a unique position to decide the world’s fate on several major challenges we face this century – global warming, nuclear proliferation, poverty – that have seen little progress in recent years. President Bush’s brash blunders in foreign policy have left us isolated and struggling to regain our international footing. It is my hope that with a new Democratic president and stronger majority in Congress we can restore our international image and take our place in the international community, working to build a better future.
Human Rights Are Universal
Everyone in this world is entitled to basic freedom and dignity, period. Coddling autocrats does not serve the interests of America or the people of the world.
No More Rushes to War
When the nation is under threat, Americans stand together to defend her. But George Bush and Gordon Smith led this nation to war in Iraq on lies, risking our troops and degrading our military to the breaking point. Now they are threatening another “preemptive” war against Iran. I will stand up every time right-wingers decide to push this nation into a hasty or unnecessary war.
It’s Worth Talking to Everyone
This President has repeatedly claimed that some nations aren’t worth talking to unless they behave the way we like. I believe that diplomacy is a way to influence nations’ behavior, not an after-the-fact reward for change.
Upholding Our Word
Under the Constitution, international treaties are the highest law in the land. Yet this administration has treated these agreements as an inconvenience, withdrawing from some, ignoring others and derailing several international efforts to address major issues we face today like global warming, weapons proliferation and the global status of women. When I’m in the Senate, I’ll stand up to say that when we give our word to the world, we mean it.
