10-27-05, 7:57 am

On the heels of the passage of Iraq's new Constitution, two Democratic members of Congress are calling on Bush to provide an exit strategy from Iraq and to begin withdrawing troops.

Rep. David Price (D-NC) and Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC), outspoken critics of the Bush Administration's handling of Iraq, have introduced a joint resolution, directing the President to submit a detailed plan to Congress for ending the occupation of that country, including a near-term initial drawdown of US troops.

Reps. Price and Miller spoke on the House floor, citing the ratification of the constitutional referendum as “an opportunity that [the United States] must seize.”

Price said, “While we should never have started this war…and although no ideal option for ending it is available to us now, the October 15 referendum vote offers the best opportunity we are likely to have to begin the process of withdrawal credibly and hopefully – to turn the responsibility for Iraq’s future over to the Iraqis themselves and to repair the diplomacy and foreign policy from which the invasion of Iraq has been such a tragic departure for our country.”

Among other things, the Price-Miller resolution recognizes the valor of US troops, faults the President for poor planning, and affirms the significance of the passing of the constitutional referendum.

Price-Miller also calls for the President to accelerate the training of Iraqi security forces and submit a detailed plan to Congress on the remaining goals of the United States mission and the means for achieving them. The full text of Price’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, follows:

The Price-Miller resolution is another in a string of resolutions calling for troop withdrawal, including a bi-partisan measure offered by Reps. Walter Jones Jr. R-NC), Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), Neil Abercrombie (D-HA), and Ron Paul (R-TX) that would set this December as a deadline for delivery of an exit strategy to Congress and the public.