A sign of things to come in Congress this week, as its members voted YES on a bill to bring our troops home from Iraq in one year’s time. The legislation narrowly missed passage in the Senate, but many Americans, including Larry Byrnes, hope it is a sign of progress being made in changing the course in Iraq.

   “We must continue to say NO to staying the course with no policy changes, no exit strategy, and spending at the rate of $10 billion a month,” Byrnes said. “We must continue to say YES to Iraqi national reconciliation, revenue sharing, provincial elections, and the new diplomatic offensive recommended by the Iraq Study Group Report.”

   So where was Rep. Connie Mack as this important legislation was being debated? Unfortunately, he was not on the House floor to vote, or even argue against it. In fact, he was not there at all. Mack was one of only 11 representatives who failed to cast a vote on this key legislation.

   Larry Byrnes realizes the importance of the issues surrounding the war in Iraq. He is committed to protecting our nation through a strong national defense, redeploying our troops from Iraq, and providing America’s men and women in uniform the training and support they deserve.

   “If this nation can spend $800 billion on an endless war, surely it can provide first class medical care and a 21st century GI Bill of Rights to serve veterans who have served us so well,” Byrnes said.

   Meanwhile, Mack has voted to limit health care for our nation’s veterans, opposing a bill to expand access to military health insurance to thousands of Reservists and National Guard members.

   Larry Byrnes is committed to honoring the men and women who have given so much for this nation, including the more than 21,000 service members deployed from Florida, and he committed to finding a way to exit Iraq that is both expedient and responsible.