Edwards Statement On Iraq War Funding And Authorization

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement today about funding and authorization of the war in Iraq.

"This is deja vu all over again. We saw it in Vietnam and we saw it earlier this year. We don't need any more non-binding resolutions or big statements; we need to end the war. I've been in Washington, so I understand the urge to make a statement - but in this situation, statements can be an excuse for inaction. Congress has a clear choice - they can talk about ending the war, or they can just end it. The only way for Congress to end the war is to cut off the money for it, and they should concentrate on doing just that. Anything else is just noise.

"As I said in February, the president exceeded his authority a long time ago. He's never been given the authority to use U.S. troops to police a civil war, so there's nothing to take away now. What's more, we know this just doesn't work. In 1971, Congress repealed the resolution authorizing the Vietnam War - and the war continued for four long years until Congress stopped funding it."