Maxine Waters on today's non-debate on Iraq.

The president's decisions leading up to and during the war have failed our men and women in uniform and the American people, and Congressional Republicans have endorsed every single decision by using its majority status to pass legislation perpetuating these mistakes. Republicans have turned a blind eye to the administration's failure to adequately plan for the invasion, failure to properly equip our troops with body armor and adequately armored Humvees and to Halliburton's excessive waste and fraud. While at the same time, year after year, they have passed divisive resolutions that commend the administration and give the White House a blank check to fund its bungled efforts.

A true debate on Iraq would address these issues and the dozens of others surrounding the invasion. Instead, Americans, especially the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price-the 2,500 U.S. soldiers who have died and the more than 18,400 injured-are being denied their right to a thoughtful, pointed discussion of efforts to continue to bring them home.