Five years after 9/11, America remains less safe than it should be.


More than five years after 9/11 and more than four years into the war in Iraq, the American people are less safe than they should be. Democrats are ready with the tough AND smart policies needed to change course, from implementing the recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission to holding President Bush accountable for change in Iraq.



9/11 Recommendations

Five years after 9/11, America remains less safe than it should be.

Iraq is serving as a "cause celebre" for recruiting and training new generations of terrorists, Afghanistan is sliding backwards, and Osama Bin Laden remains on the loose.

The American people demanded a change, and that's just what Democrats are delivering.

Democrats will start by completing implementation of the much-needed recommendations of the bipartisan 9/11 Commission.

President Bush's failed policies have made America less safe. Now more than ever, Congress must ensure the highest quality of security for the American people.

Iraq

President Bush is ignoring a bipartisan majority of Congress, his own military commanders, and the American public in escalating the war and is leading us on a path to strategic defeat in Iraq.

The American people have demanded a change of course in Iraq and Democrats are committed to holding President Bush accountable.

One possible option is to restructure the Authorization of the Use of Military Force that gives President Bush the authority to conduct this war.

The President's authorization in Iraq is outdated and needs to be modified. Congress authorized this President to go to war to stop Saddam Hussein from developing weapons of mass destruction and from aiding Al Qaeda terrorists. We now know that no WMD ever existed, and Saddam Hussein had no connection to Al Qaeda.

Congress set the mission in Iraq four years ago, and Congress can set the appropriate mission now.

America's security deserves a tough and smart strategy that will force Iraqis to take control of their own country, redeploy our troops, and refocus our efforts on battling the very real and growing threat of terrorism

There is no one piece of legislation that will bring this war to an end. Democrats will continue to look at ways to force the President to change course and will examine the appropriate legislative vehicles for our proposals.