Edwards Statement On Proposed Iraq War Funding Bill

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement today following reports that Congress is drafting a bill to fund the war in Iraq that does not include a timeline for withdrawal.

"The president continues to play political brinksmanship over the war and that has put Congress and the country in an unnecessarily difficult position. He refuses to acknowledge the futility of his approach, disregards the clear message sent by the American people last fall, and falsely claims that the only way for Congress to support the troops is to prolong the war. That's just not true. Congress can support the troops and end the war, which is exactly what the bill they sent the president last month would have done.

"We need to stand our ground against this president. You cannot negotiate with him. Congress should send him the same bill back to him again and again until he realizes he has no choice but to start bringing our troops home. The funding power is the only way Congress can force Bush to end the war. So I am concerned to hear reports that Congress is preparing to concede to the president in the face of his strong-arming. If Congress gives him yet another blank check to fund the war, we're going to get what we've gotten every time before - yet another year of war."