“Military families everywhere have longed for Congress to display just a bit of the courage that it demands of our soldiers”, said Maine Chapter Coordinator, Carole Whelan at the ceremony. “No person of character asks one single soldier to die for a failed policy. Thank you, Rep. Michaud,  for leading the way and showing others that they too might find their courage.

Michaud was thanked and presented with tokens of appreciation by other MFSO members as well as representatives from churches, unions and veterans. One of his gifts was a shirt from the Backbone Campaign, depicting a spine that was labeled with some of the Democratic Party Platform items, such as “Take the Profit out of War”. (Maine citizens have so far spent well over a billion of their tax dollars for the occupation of Iraq. At the same time, war profiteers have enjoyed record profits.)

Today, I find my conscience torn between a vote to fund the further occupation of Iraq, which I oppose, and the establishment of a firm deadline to bring our men and women home, which I strongly support. This is the hardest vote that I have ever cast in Congress.

I have repeatedly stated that I will not vote for further funding for this war unless it leads to a significant change in strategy that includes the end of our operations in Iraq. Because of this conviction, I would have preferred that the Lee Amendment had been allowed to go forward, which would have established a withdrawal deadline within this year. It would have received my support, but this option was not opened to a vote.

I do support the attempt by House Leadership in this bill to reign in the Administration’s unending and poorly planned occupation, and I commend them for putting many positive features into this bill. This bill was a step in the right direction, and I can understand why many would choose to support it. But at the end of the day, it did not go far enough to change our approach in Iraq to receive my support. I could not in good conscience vote for this additional funding without that fundamental change.

The fact is, this bill still keeps our troops in Iraq without changing the tactics and tools that we are using there. It continues to rely on military means to solve a political problem. It creates benchmarks for progress in Iraq that could trigger an early withdrawal — which is a very positive step — but allows the President alone to certify that they are being met. The Administration’s track record of using interpretive signing statements, circumventing the law, and misleading the American public on many matters relating to Iraq should lead every American to question whether the White House can be trusted to truthfully evaluate the situation in Iraq.

The problems in Iraq will not be solved with US military strength alone. We need a political solution, and unfortunately this funding bill does not fundamentally change our approach. Therefore, with some reservation, I voted no.

The Administration has failed our soldiers. The dedication and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has been unsurpassed, but has not been met by the Administration with the planning, care, and foresight that honors their service and serves the interests of America and the Iraqi people. The Administration has also repeatedly failed to propose the funding needed for returning veterans to ensure that they get the highest level of care. That is simply appalling.

I will continue to work to establish a new approach in Iraq, one that ensures a redeployment of our forces, the use of diplomacy to achieve a political solution, and the care and support that our soldiers have earned both when deployed abroad and when they return home.