i thank my friend , the distinguished rules committee member from massachusetts , for yielding me time . 
last night i made the statement in the rules committee that i would not participate in the debate . 
i do not intend when the debate begins to have anything to say , and quite frankly if i had the wherewithal , i would ask my colleagues on the democratic side not to say anything as well . 
but i do know a little bit now , having served on the rules committee for a little while , about closed rules , and i know when we have closed rules , we restrict democracy . 
we come here to advocate for democracy in iraq , as rightly we should . 
but i come this morning to advocate democracy for the members of the house of representatives who have a different point of view that needs to be heard regarding this important matter having to do with our nation . 
like my friend and mentor , tom lantos , i feel that there will be division as a result of the resolution as filed . 
i quite frankly am a bit surprised that so many people in the majority who argue that the war should not be politicized have done an act , although subtle and nuanced , that is as political as most things that we do here . 
i do not decry politics . 
that is what we do for a living . 
but when it comes to this nation , we all have a responsibility to stand together . 
there is no one in this congress that does not support the military of the united states in every aspect of what it has done . 
there is no one in this congress that wants us to fail in achieving victory in iraq and anywhere that terror exists in this world . 
we have a vested interest in that . 
we have a natural right to pursue that particular interest . 
but to fashion a resolution that ignores the language that mr. lantos xz4002310 offered , that does precisely the same thing with civility all throughout it , i can not imagine that we have passed yet another closed rule and that we have restricted a sensible , civil resolution offered by mr. lantos , ms. pelosi , and mr. hoyer . 
in that light , i consider it to be the kind of act that is seemingly becoming the pattern with so many people in this house who represent so many constituents who are not being heard . 
