mr. speaker , i want to thank the gentleman from california ( mr. dreier )  , the chairman of our committee , for yielding me the customary 30 minutes , and i yield myself 7 1/2 minutes .  mr. speaker , last night and this morning , like all my colleagues , i watched the news reports about the parliamentary elections in iraq .  this is a proud day for the iraqi people , and it is fitting that this congress , this house of representatives , recognize the courage of the iraqi people , their desire to take control of their own destiny , and how much they have suffered to achieve this taste of democracy .  as has been stated by so many analysts in the news media , one of the most important outcomes of this election was the significant participation for the first time of iraqi sunnis in this election , many of whom , according to news reports , were encouraged to vote , escorted to the polls or guarded at the polls by armed iraqi insurgents .  everyone in the house of representatives is proud of the iraqi people .  everyone in this house respects the efforts made by our uniformed men and women to help the iraqi people get to this historic moment .  this house could have sent a strong unified message to the iraqi people , our troops in iraq , and to the international community in support of our troops and in support of the brave iraqi people .  but , mr. speaker , once again , as it has so often done in the past , this republican leadership has chosen to include controversial language in this resolution , knowing that it will provoke sharp and divisive debate over iraq .  rather than choosing to send a united message to the world , the republican leadership has cynically and deliberately decided to highlight our divisions rather than our unity .  late last night , the ranking member of the house international relations committee , one of the most respected leaders in this house on human rights , congressman tom lantos , came before the rules committee with a resolution that focused on congratulating the people of iraq for three successful elections conducted in iraq this year .  the resolution further praises our troops for their contributions to peace and stability in iraq .  and , mr. speaker , he was rejected out of hand .  shame on the majority to treat one of the most respected members of this body in such a fashion .  shame .  mr. speaker , there are many points of view in this house about how the u.s. should proceed in iraq .  even among the majority , there are differing points of view .  i for one believe these successful iraqi elections provide an opportunity for the united states to change course in iraq and begin bringing u.s. forces home .  as we pass the 1 , 000th day of the war in iraq , i believe we must begin the transition to putting the iraqis in charge .  after 3 years of war , the united states claims , for better or for worse , the elimination of saddam hussein from power , and that the united states has furthered the iraqi political process , culminating in the passage of a constitution and now the first democratic election and iraq 's first constitutional government .  at this point , plans for a full transfer of sovereignty to iraqis demands a change in course , one that puts iraqis in charge .  iraq ca n't move forward with 160 , 000 u.s. troops , the largest u.s. embassy in the world , and with iraqi public opinion behind a timetable for withdrawal .  mr. speaker , many years ago vermont senator george aiken said of the disastrous vietnam war that the united states should declare victory and go home .  well , the elections in iraq and the other milestones constitute a sufficient reason for the united states to declare that it has done all it can in iraq , and it is time to reverse the bush administration 's policies .  president bush 's unwillingness to announce a plan to remove u.s. troops within a clear time frame and his refusal to renounce the use of permanent u.s. military bases there undermines his rhetoric about iraqi democracy and will undermine the legitimacy of the new iraqi government .  our occupation of iraq complicates the transition to democracy .  former secretary of state madeleine albright had it right , mr. speaker , when she said last month that the united states can support democracy , but we can not impose democracy .  and it is a deadly combination when democracy is equated with occupation .  while the president continues to give speeches on the war , the american people have become disenchanted with the administration 's iraq policies and its failure to disclose a plan for withdrawal .  let us be clear , mr. speaker .  the president has a credibility gap when it comes to iraq .  according to a december 8 new york times/cbs poll , 59 percent of americans disapprove of the way president bush is handling the war in iraq , and 70 percent do not believe that he has developed a clear plan to get american troops out of iraq .  we have lost more than 2 , 100 soldiers dead and over 15 , 000 wounded , overstretched our military , placed our homeland and those of our allies at greater risk , and still this president persists in a useless quest for , quote , victory .  but excuse me , mr. speaker , just what is `` victory '' ?  who defines it ?  who decides when `` victory '' has been achieved in iraq ?  is it the iraqi people themselves ?  is it president bush , who has already declared `` mission accomplished '' ?  is it next year ?  or the year after that ?  or 5 years or 10 years down the road ?  is it when we have lost 3 , 000 troops in iraq ?  or 5 , 000 ?  or 10- ?  how many more american troops do we have to sacrifice ?  how many more iraqi lives must be sacrificed before we decide that while most iraqis are confident in yesterday 's parliamentary elections , two-thirds are opposed to the presence of u.s. troops , according to a poll released on december 12 by abc news and time magazine .  according to news reports , many of the sunnis turned out in such large numbers yesterday because they see it as a means to end the u.s. occupation of their country .  arab voices through the cairo process are helping change the dynamic in a positive way and are filling a role that the u.s. no longer needs to play .  the president must work with the united nations and iraq 's arab neighbors to develop an interim arrangement as american troops depart .  the best way to preserve the gains made so far is to commit to long-term financing for reconstruction , working with the new iraqi government to set a timetable for withdrawal , and to arrange for an over-the-horizon troop presence .  the bush administration and the republican leadership of this house should be spending less time on spin and speeches and more time on preparing for bringing american troops home .  the way out of iraq begins by genuine respect for the will of the iraqi people and their desire for u.s. military withdrawal from iraq .  the president can begin to demonstrate this respect by putting an end to the attempted manipulation of iraqi public opinion with fake news written by pentagon contractors , the unambiguous announcement that the u.s. will not maintain permanent military bases there , and the immediate initiation of a coherent plan for the withdrawal of our forces there .  this will not only give the vast majority of the iraqi people what they want , but the new iraqi government its strongest chance for success .  unlike what is stated in this resolution , there is nothing `` artificial '' about this approach .  congress , too , has a responsibility to take action where the bush administration falters .  today we should praise the iraqi people , but tomorrow this congress should move to must-pass legislation to force beginning to bring our forces home .  mr. speaker , i reserve the balance of my time .  