Chairman Van Hollen’s Statement on the Fifth Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq

DCCC Chairman Chris Van Hollen released the following statement on the fifth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq:

Five years ago today, President Bush diverted our nation from fighting the war on terror in Afghanistan by launching a poorly planned and open-ended war in Iraq. We honor the patriotism and bravery of our men and women in uniform and we are forever grateful for their and their families' sacrifices.

The President recently characterized the dangers faced by our soldiers as 'romantic.' There is nothing romantic about the enormous price in blood and treasure that our nation has been forced to pay for the President's ill-conceived Iraq policy.  Nearly 4,000 American troops have been killed. Nearly 30,000 more have been wounded. The American people have paid nearly a trillion dollars and this war has left our military stretched to the breaking point.

Now, after five years of obstructing a New Direction in Iraq, Republicans are rushing to embrace Senator John McCain, who advocates nothing more than a third Bush term and keeping our troops in Iraq for 100 years. Unfortunately, President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq has weakened, rather than strengthened, our national security.

House Democrats remain committed to a responsible and honorable redeployment of our troops from Iraq – both for our national security as well as our economic security. This war has had a devastating impact on our economy, reflected in record high oil prices and massive borrowing by the U.S. government. We must end the war's financial strain on the American people so we can finally address urgent priorities here at home such as jumpstarting our economy, creating jobs, and making America energy independent.