October 4, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H8015 worse is who is financing it. Back in eration says, we have a challenge we in Saudi Arabia, and I found nothing World War II, back in World War I, are going to pay for. but support for the United States, and back any time we had a national crisis This generation needs to step forward a lot want to keep the relationship and in this country and we had to raise as other generations did. And those of better the relationship. money through borrowing, we did it us who are fortunate enough not to Osama bin Laden was targeting with war bonds and so forth, and people fight this war ought to at least be will- Saudi Arabia, not just the United in this country invested in the good of ing to pay for it right now. States, and more specifically, he was the Nation. That is not happening. We Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, we want targeting the relationship between the are now mortgaging our country, 90 to thank the staff. We apologize for two countries by using Saudis as hi- percent this year. It has gone up 79 per- keeping them here this late. This is a jackers in 9/11. We know he could have cent in the last 4 years. We are bor- message that we hope people will begin used dozens of different nationalities rowing from people who do not have to think about. on those airplanes, but Osama bin America’s best interests at heart. I f Laden wants to bring down the Saudi hope that is the second lesson that regime which condemned and expelled TO CAST ASIDE A FRIEND comes out of this tonight. Please, if him years before. you think that is important, if you The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under Second, the disparagers will say that know, as I do, that we are creating a fi- the Speaker’s announced policy of Jan- Saudi Arabia is an incubator of ter- nancial vulnerability second only as a uary 7, 2003, the gentleman from Cali- rorism because of school systems. matter of national security to the war fornia (Mr. CUNNINGHAM) is recognized I will be including this because I do on terrorism, because we will lose con- for half the time before midnight, ap- not have time tonight to read the trol of our own financial destiny, con- proximately 30 minutes. whole thing, but it goes into talk about trol of our economy if this is not Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I the bank system, the lending system quickly reversed. am not going to talk about spending, and how Saudis have shut down ter- And third, the way to reverse it is to deficits, taxes, Democrats, Repub- rorism. immediately establish the rules of pay- licans. I am going to do something a I would like to first cover what I as-you-go. Every family does it. If I little different on the floor. I will talk found about education. We had about want to spend some money over here, I about a vision for world peace. And the 20,000 Saudi Arabian students in the have to cut somewhere over here. It is title is ‘‘To Cast Aside a Friend,’’ United States before 9/11. One of the fa- that simple. We all do it. They refuse, maybe a little different perspective on thers sent his son back. He was a senior the Republican leadership here refuses Saudi Arabia. in college. And after 9/11 he went to put what we call PAYGO rules back There was a speech in which the indi- through the airplane, and INS saw that in. They work. If you have a good idea, vidual talked about a Saudi business- he was a Saudi student, held up his that is fine. How are you going to pay man who was talking about the mur- visa and made the statement, ‘‘Okay, for it? You have to cut somewhere else derous events on September 11. We smile for me like a terrorist.’’ to do it. We ought to demand, the citi- know it as 9/11. The Saudi was worried This is the inhumane treatment that zens, the highest officeholders in our about the derailment of the partner- many of the students and the ill treat- land must demand financial account- ship and alliance that Saudi Arabia ment that people from the Mideast are ability that has been sadly and, in my and the United States have enjoyed receiving when they come back into judgment, heart-breakingly absent over the past 60 years for the better- the United States. So when I say anger here. I yield to the gentleman from ment of a free world, both for Saudi by the Saudis, not hate, in some cases, Mississippi. Arabia and for the United States. I believe it is justified. Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. I recently visited Saudi Arabia for a I have an individual in my district. Speaker, just along the lines of the couple of weeks, and I want to talk a He has been an American citizen for gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. TAN- little bit about what I found there, the many, many years. His brother still NER), and I am really reminded of it support for the United States but yet lives in Saudi Arabia. His brother’s when I see a great American hero sit- some of the anger towards the United son, named Bater, came through the ting across the aisle from us, someone States, not hatred, but anger. airport as he had many, many times to who fought for his country in Vietnam, There has been a fire storm of criti- come back to school within the United was an ace, probably has some different cism against Saudi Arabia in the States. He ended up on some list. No views than what we do. But I will say months since 9/11, and the relationships one was able to find out what list or this: I greatly respect the gentleman between Saudi Arabia and the United why that list existed. from California (Mr. CUNNINGHAM), and States has been condemned and Upon arrival, he was put in handcuffs I greatly respect everyone who has ever vilified. I believe Saudi Arabia remains and shackled, his legs shackled like a served our country. I have enormous a valuable ally to the United States. common criminal. He was held at the respect for all of those fighting in Iraq The detractors will say that Saudi Ara- airport and shipped back to Riyadh. No and Afghanistan tonight. bia is an incubator for terrorism sim- explanation. When he got back to Ri- ply because many were Saudis on that yadh, guess what? The United States b 2300 flight during 9/11, and they were citi- found out that the allegations were not But I will say this. Those of us who zens. true. are fortunate enough not to have to The individuals to whom I spoke in Now, can you imagine how my con- fight these wars, ought to at the very the cabinet and the Shura council, stituent’s brother treated him when he least be willing to pay for them right which is like the Congress of the came back to Saudi Arabia? He still now and not stick those young soldiers United States, were in disbelief when loves the United States. The son, and their children with the bill for this they were told that Saudis were on Bater, loves the United States. But war. that airplane. One of the reasons that would there be anger? If it was my son, That is what is going on. We are just some of the people who were reported you bet. kicking the can. We are asking the on those airplanes were still walking These are the kinds of things that kids to fight for us now, and, by the around Saudi Arabia, so they said, no, Secretary Colin Powell is working on way, when you get home, here is the it cannot be. It is misinformation. And to find out, how do we allow the stu- bill. And if you cannot pay for it, your when it was proven that it was, they dents to come back into the United children and your children’s children were in disbelief. States, $1.2 billion just from students will pay for it. If you have a gang of thugs in a city, coming in from Saudi Arabia? Seventy- Almost every tax on the books, as re- it does not represent the mainstream five percent of the Saudi cabinet grad- grettable as taxes are, almost every of that city. And I found through the uated from U.S. schools and colleges tax on the books was put on during citizens I was able to speak to, busi- and universities. Most of them end up wartime. Never in the American his- nessmen, to teachers, to almost every with Ph.D.s. These are the leaders run- tory has there been a tax break during cabinet member, to the Shura council, ning the country in Saudi Arabia; and a war, never, because every other gen- to women in universities and colleges every one of them with whom I spoke VerDate Aug 04 2004 05:42 Oct 05, 2004 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K04OC7.118 H04PT1 H8016 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE October 4, 2004 supported the United States and want- In medical care and health care, most copies of initiatives and actions taken ed to regain that kindling relationship.