From the Library of Congress:
MESSAGE FROM THE SENATE -- (House of Representatives - June 15, 2006)

Mr. MEEKS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to share with the American people the truth about the war in Iraq. For truly it had nothing to do with 9/11 or the war on terrorism.

We invaded Iraq because Vice President Cheney erroneously claimed, there is overwhelming evidence that there was a connection between al Qaeda and the Iraq Government.

The fact is, Mr. Speaker, that Secretary of State Colin Powell conceded that he had no smoking gun proof of a link between the Government of Iraq, President Saddam Hussein, and the terrorists of al Qaeda.

We know there were no weapons of mass destruction. The prewar costs estimates were as incorrect as our intelligence on WMDs. The postwar planning was nonexistent. The laundry list of things we did wrong and the deceptions surrounding this war are never-ending, and we continue to make mistakes even now.

No, Mr. Speaker, the mission was not accomplished. Instead of invading Iraq, we should have mobilized all of our forces to pursue and apprehend Osama bin Laden, the terrorist who in fact orchestrated 9/11 while we had him pinned down in Tora Bora, in Afghanistan.

At that time we had an opportunity to unite the world and bring people together when we had a true coalition of nations. American families can tell that things are not going well in Iraq.

However, a leader, a true leader, a real leader, needs to have a plan. A plan of engagement. A plan of how to exit. We went into war with neither.

The American people, the families who have lost the loved ones, deserve more than that. They deserve to know that there is indeed a plan, an exit strategy. This Congress, this Congress, must stand up for our troops, for their families, for America, and for the sake of refocusing, to wage a real struggle against terrorism.

No, Mr. Speaker, we must not stay our failed course. We must not be stubborn, because stubbornness does not win wars. Stubbornness really and actually causes us to lose. I tell my children not to be stubborn, because stubborn does not win. Let's do the right thing for the American people and tell them the truth.