What members of Congress are saying

"I welcome the transition of power from the United States to the Iraqi people. As the president meets with his counterparts at NATO, I hope that he will find ways to speed security and peace in Iraq. It has been among the goals of the Bush administration to receive pledges of increased numbers of troops from other countries to assist in the stabilization of Iraq. But the achievement of those goals has been difficult." — Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va.

"Hate-filled terrorists will attempt to thwart this march toward a free Iraq, but I have confidence in the human nature of the vast majority of the Iraqi people who will strive and persevere to establish their own society with greater respect and opportunity for all. This is a day which will go down in history as one of the key events in their march to liberty." — Sen. George Allen, R-Va.

"The buck stops on the Iraqi desk now. . . . The real test will come perhaps in a month or two after we've finished the training of some of the Iraqi forces. The rubber hits the road when you determine whether or not they are willing to take the risk, the same risk as coalition forces. The United States and other coalition forces have done their best to bring stability." — Sen. John Warner, R-Va.

"Today we turned over sovereignty, but we are not turning over capacity, the capacity for the Iraqis themselves to provide security, deliver essential services and set a foundation for economic progress. . . . Together with the international community, our challenge . . . is to help Iraq develop the capacity to stand on its own feet. Unless and until we do, it will be impossible to disengage responsibly from Iraq." — Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.

"While we transferred sovereignty today, we need to be honest with the American people that this struggle is far from over. Security in Iraq is worse now than it was right after the fall of Baghdad and may deteriorate further. The Iraqi security forces cannot handle the challenge alone, reconstruction has barely started, and massive unemployment has left many frustrated and even desperate. While the Iraqis will now make their own decisions, they are also at their most vulnerable. Iraq is still a very dangerous place." — Sen. John "Jay" Rockefeller, D-W.Va.

"Today's transfer not only avoids the danger surrounding a big celebration on June 30, but it will further impress on the Iraqi people that this is their country and they've got to step up and run it." — Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.