“Mission Accomplished,” Four Years Later (House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer)

I think it is widely acknowledged that the President was wrong to stand before a banner declaring “mission accomplished” four years ago — since that day, we have lost 3,196 American lives, hundreds of billions of dollars have been spent and we are still no closer to the democratic, peace-loving Iraq that every American prays to see in the near future.

However, what is most striking to me about this anniversary is that, four years later, we are still pursuing the same failing strategy that led us to question the mission accomplished claim in the first place.  Congressional Democrats, the Iraq Study Group, military commanders and the American people all agree it is time to change course — and I remain hopeful that Congress and the President will be able to reach a compromise on a new direction that is designed to succeed.