U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-08), a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security today made the following statement in regards to the announced New Jersey troop deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan:

“As I fight in Washington to bring our troops home from Iraq, it is incredibly difficult to learn that many more of New Jersey’s bravest patriots will be sent into battle.  

“The sacrifice that these men and women make for our way of life is incalculable.  We owe everything to them.  New Jersey’s National Guard members will be missed by their families, who share the sacrifice.  Their absence will be felt in communities all across the state.  It our responsibility to fill the void they leave by making our own sacrifices for the good of their families and the communities which we share.  Too few are bearing the brunt of this war. 

“When news like this hits home, it becomes clear that the Administration’s mismanaged military campaign in Iraq has increased domestic vulnerability.  President Bush has stretched General Rieth’s resources thin and has created an increased risk for the people of New Jersey.  I am very concerned about the homeland security gap that will open in the Guard’s absence.

“The untimely deployment of New Jersey’s troops and the potentially damaging effect it could have in our own back yard affirms my commitment to withdrawing America’s military force from Iraq at the earliest possible date.”

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