"Madam Speaker, I rise in opposition to H. Res. 34. While I fully support the right of Israel to
defend itself and its citizens, the resolution before us today appears to endorse the failed
strategies and policies of the Bush Administration in finding a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict. The Bush Administration quashed a real effort towards peace begun by the
Clinton Administration and turned a blind eye towards 8 years of unnecessary and avoidable
turmoil.
The peace process lost many years of progress and the incoming Obama administration faces a
great challenge to reconstruct the broken peace process. President-elect Obama and his designee
for Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, must take immediate steps to engage key international
players in an attempt to restart talks towards a two-state solution to the conflict. This will be
difficult and slow, but necessary to find long-term peace for a region strained by violence.
The House resolution before us today does not reflect the complexities of the current conflict and
would not help the incoming Obama administration in bringing about the necessary changes in
U.S. foreign policy to promote a lasting peace in the region. The world is excited and hopeful
with a new administration that has promised a return to a cooperative U.S. foreign policy. This
resolution fails to reflect that hope. Therefore, I voted present on H. Res. 34." (January 9, 2009)