WASHINGTON -- U.S. Rep. John Murtha today insisted that he hasn't changed his views on the Iraq war, despite telling a group of reporters on Thursday that the troop surge is "working."

"The military surge has created a window of opportunity for the Iraqi government. Unfortunately, the sacrifice of our troops has not been met by the Iraqi Government and they have failed to capitalize on the political and diplomatic steps that the surge was designed to provide," the Johnstown Democrat said in a statement. "The fact remains that the war in Iraq cannot be won militarily, and that we must begin an orderly redeployment of U.S. forces from Iraq as soon as practicable."

Mr. Murtha, chairman of the powerful House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and a prominent critic of the Bush administration's Iraq policy, released the statement after facing harsh criticisms from Republicans and war supporters who said he had shifted his rhetoric to reflect declining violence.

Mr. Murtha gave his original comments after returning from a brief four-day trip to the Middle East last week.

"Mr. Murtha's position on the war hasn't changed," said Matthew Mazonkey, a spokesman for the lawmaker. "He still believes a responsible redeployment is in the best interest of the United States."

Meanwhile, a top House Republican said Democrats should now approve President Bush's request for billions in emergency funding for the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"With one of the Democrats' leading war critics now saying the surge in Iraq is working, it's difficult to understand why the majority continues to push an irresponsible withdrawal plan that jeopardizes critical support funding for our troops," said Rep. Roy Blunt, R-Missouri, the minority whip. "It can't be the facts on the ground that are influencing their decision-making. After all, our servicemen and women have made tremendous progress the past six months, with fewer attacks on our troops, greater security in historically insecure areas, and terrorist insurgents on the run."

But Mr. Murtha argues that such gains are temporary if the Iraq's central government does take a much greater role in security. He also says the U.S. military cannot sustain an open-ended commitment to Iraq, especially if it faces a new crisis elsewhere in the world.