Congressman Thaddeus McCotter Radio Address
May 4, 2007

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Transcript:

Hello, I'm Representative Thaddeus McCotter, from Michigan's 11th Congressional District.

Nearly three months after its request, our citizen-soldiers in combat still lack the emergency funding they need to defeat the enemies of human freedom, extend liberty to the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan, and return home to their families' loving arms.

This week, Congressional Democrats disingenuously sent to the President a pork-larded spending bill demanding either of two dates for our troops' defeat in the field. First, if our troops progress slowly in Iraq, the Democrats declared America's defeat in July; alternately, if our troops progressed swiftly in Iraq, the Democrats declared America's defeat in October.

According to the American Legion, these defeat dates made the bill "irresponsible," "a blue print for disaster," and made the President's subsequent veto of it "sad but necessary." As its national commander bluntly said, "You can not possibly say 'I support the troops, but I don't want to pay for their bullets.'"

Unfortunately such sanity is lost upon the Senate's Democratic Majority Leader, Harry Reid, who has already announced the "war is lost," and bragged his party will "pick up seats...as a result."

Despite this cynical political calculation, this week, House Republicans and a handful of courageous Democrats upheld the President's veto of this unconscionable legislation; and we will continue working with honorable Democrats and all Americans to fully fund and support our troops.

Yes, mistakes have been made in our nation's War for Freedom; but we must retain a true assessment of the situation on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. To date, America has liberated these peoples from barbarous, terrorist-sponsoring regimes; restored these nations' sovereignty to their free peoples' hands; and nurtured their democratic elections. Now, in our final duty to these brave peoples, our citizen-soldiers are fighting beside them to secure their fledgling democracies' survival in our absence.

Thus, Democratic leaders must avoid making the biggest mistake of all by turning their backs on our troops and declaring our defeat. Instead, all Americans must summon the clarity and courage to fully fund our troops without injurious restrictions on the performance of their duty; without selfish pork-barrel provisions which detract from the provisioning and protection of our troops; and without dangerous declarations of unilateral American surrender in what al-Qaeda and the enemy have pronounced "the central front" in their war against humanity.

But if Congressional Democrats obstinately persist, the peoples of Iraq and Afghanistan, after a cruel sip of freedom, will be condemned to a Saturnalia of slaughter; the enemies of human freedom will hail America's defeat and be emboldened and empowered to seek new conquests; and, having betrayed our own historic and revolutionary commitment to human liberty, America's security will be imperiled.

This must not happen. Once more, House Republicans and brave Democrats will strive to pass a supplemental spending bill for our citizen-soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan; and, with America united behind them, our troops will accomplish their mission; our new allies against terror will be welcomed into the ranks of free nations; and, having extended liberty to the enslaved overseas, our own security will be strengthened.

May God continue to grace, guard, guide, and bless our troops and the majestic American people. I'm Congressman Thaddeus McCotter. Thank you for listening.Hello, I'm Congresswoman Shelley Moore Capito. I represent West Virginia's 2nd Congressional District.