New York Lawmaker Opposes Invasion of Iraq But Calls for 'Shared Sacrifice' in the Event of War WASHINGTON, December 30, 2002 -- Congressman Charles Rangel, a strong opponent of war with Iraq, said today that he would begin drafting legislation to reinstate the draft so as to ensure a "shared sacrifice" among Americans serving in the armed forces.
"If our great country becomes involved in an all-out war, the sacrifice must be shared. In that regard, I am preparing legislation to authorize reinstatement of the universal draft and other forms of mandatory national service," Congressman Rangel said.
In a letter to his Democratic colleagues who voted against the Iraq war resolution, Congressman Rangel said he was concerned that the burden of military service was being borne disproportionately by members of disadvantaged groups.
"Successful implementation of the Administration's policy towards Iraq will require long-term sacrifices by the American people, particularly those with sons and daughters in the military who will be placed in harm's way," he said.
Noting that only one member of Congress who voted in favor of the Iraq War resolution had a child in the enlisted ranks of the military, Congressman Rangel continued, "It is apparent, however, that service in the armed forces is not a common experience and that disproportionate numbers of the poor and members of minority groups compose the enlisted ranks of the military."
Commenting on his proposal in an interview on CNN, the Congressman said, "I think, if we went home and found out that there were more families concerned about their kids going off to war, there would be more cautiousness and more willingness to work with the international community, instead of just saying that it's my way or the highway."
In his letter, Congressman Rangel also criticized the Bush Administration for its failure to address concerns about overextending the military and possibly undermining the response to the terrorist attacks on the U.S. Americans have also been killed in terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, Jordan, Kenya, Indonesia, Lebanon and Yemen.
"There is no doubt that acting alone against Iraq will further strain our military resources which are already burdened by a growing list of obligations. Whether our military is up to the task of fulfilling those commitments, in manpower, training and equipment, is an open question," the Congressman said.
"The American people are entitled to a clear and detailed response to these questions," Congressman Rangel said.
The Congressman warned that domestic policies should also reflect the principle of shared sacrifice expected from the military. "We must be certain that the sacrifices that we will be asking our armed forces to make are shared by the rest of us. We must not allow business as usual in either our domestic economic policies or in the manner in which we prepare for and conduct military intervention," he said.
"Shared sacrifice, especially in times of war, is key to preserving the nation's morale. Yet it would appear that we continue to favor, with our tax cuts and other domestic initiatives, the wealthiest Americans. No policy, whether on taxes, health care, Social Security or any other pressing domestic concern, can be separated from the concept of shared sacrifice without threatening the people's belief in their leaders."
Source: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ny15_rangel/draftrelease.html
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