Statement by John Edwards Calling On Congress To Stand Firm, Force Bush To End War

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – In response to President Bush's address to the nation on his plans for Iraq, Senator John Edwards released the following statement:

"Last night the president's address confirmed that he is pressing on with the only Iraq strategy he has ever had—more time, more troops and more war. President Bush proposed taking out less than 6,000 troops from Iraq before the end of the year, but even after these troops return home, there will still be more members of our armed forces in Iraq than there were before the surge. Furthermore, the president's Iraq policy has brought our military close to the breaking point, so these forces would have been withdrawn anyway unless the president planned to extend tours to an unconscionable 18 months. And last night, yet again, President Bush tried to connect 9/11 and Iraq, despite the fact that he himself has admitted before that there is no connection.

"Enough is enough. The American people voted for change last November and 10 months later we still have the status quo. Congress must stand up to President Bush and pass a funding bill with a timetable for withdrawal. If the president vetoes that bill, Congress must send it back, again and again, as many times as it takes for the president to finally get the message that he can't defy the American people. Every member of Congress who believes this war must end has the moral responsibility to use every tool available to them, including a filibuster, to send the president one simple message: "No timeline, no funding. No excuses."