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Congressional Record—Senate S2292

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Congressional Record—Senate S2292 S2292 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE February 28, 2007 As this debate unfolds, it is my hope chance of success than the course we quickly and effectively achieve the vic- we will have the opportunity to bring are now taking. Therefore, this strat- tory that all of us desire. It is not the Gregg amendment to the floor and egy deserves a chance. about political posturing. It is about vote to send a clear message to our In talking with some of my col- what Congress can do to support our men and women in harm’s way that we leagues, on the Republican side as well young men and women in Iraq and help support them, the funding will be as the Democratic side, who recently them accomplish this critical mission. there, and we will stay with them as returned from Iraq, I am very hopeful Losing the global war on terrorism is they pursue the cause on behalf of that based on the comments they have not an option. Failure in Iraq would be peace, liberty, freedom, and democracy made, per their visual inspection of devastating to our national security, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the what is going on in Iraq today, based entangling the Middle East in a web of world. upon their conversations with General chaos that breeds terror and extre- I yield the floor and suggest the ab- Petraeus, we are seeing some successes, mism. The Iraq Study Group and sence of a quorum. even though they are minimal at this countless expert witnesses have testi- The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- point. But there is now hope and en- fied that simply leaving Iraq, without pore. The clerk will call the roll. couragement that this strategy is stabilizing the country, would be disas- The assistant legislative clerk pro- going to work. trous. ceeded to call the roll. If Members of Congress truly don’t As the senior Senator from my State, Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I support our efforts in Iraq and believe my support of our mission and our ask unanimous consent that the order we should withdraw troops, they should troops includes a responsibility to ex- for the quorum call be rescinded. vote to cut off funds for the war, which amine the tactics and question the The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- is the primary authority Congress has steps that we take to reach our goal. I pore. Without objection, it is so or- in this area. However, having refused will continue to do that in a very delib- dered. to allow the Senate to vote on pro- erate way, but I intend to be construc- Mr. CHAMBLISS. Mr. President, I re- tecting funding for our troops serving tive in my approach and criticism in cently came to the Senate floor to ex- in harm’s way, the Democrats are now order to do everything we can to en- press my views relative to the delibera- proposing another symbolic resolution. sure that our troops and our mission This is the fourth resolution that the tions this body was undertaking ap- succeed, rather than doing whatever I Senate Democratic leadership has proving and disapproving of the Presi- can to make sure they fail. backed to address the troop increase, dent’s way forward in Iraq. I am When this motion to deauthorize or strongly in favor of this body debating and the Democrats still insist on avoid- ing the fundamental issue of whether micromanage the war in Iraq comes to the U.S. policy relative to Iraq and be- the floor of the Senate, I urge my col- lieve all my colleagues are as well. they will cut off funds for troops serv- ing in Iraq. leagues to oppose it. However, as I stated in my earlier I yield the floor. Mr. President, I sug- speech, it is not appropriate to allow As the Wall Street Journal wrote in an editorial: gest the absence of a quorum. the majority party to completely dic- The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. tate the terms of that debate, as they Democrats don’t want to leave their fin- gerprints on defeat in Iraq by actually vot- WHITEHOUSE). The clerk will call the have tried to do over the last several ing to bring the troops home. So instead, roll. weeks. That is why I voted against clo- they’re hoping to put restrictions on troop The assistant legislative clerk pro- ture on the motion to proceed to the deployments that will make it impossible for ceeded to call the roll. Reid resolution on February 17, along the Iraq commander, General David Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I with a vast majority of my Republican Petraeus, to fulfill his mission. ask unanimous consent that the order colleagues. This is essentially an attempt to en- for the quorum call be rescinded. Mr. President, since that time, a new sure the policy does not succeed. Logi- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without strategy relative to this debate has cally, the Senate should be giving Gen- objection, it is so ordered. come forward. The strategy is essen- eral Petraeus everything he needs to tially an attempt to deauthorize or re- succeed, both in terms of financial as f strict U.S. military action in Iraq by well as political support. But that is CONCLUSION OF MORNING revoking or altering the Iraq war reso- not what the majority party is trying BUSINESS lution, which passed this body by a to do. vote of 77 to 23 on October 11, 2002. I Democrats in the House of Rep- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Morning don’t agree with this tactic. resentatives have undertaken a plan business is closed. On January 26, the Senate unani- that would tie war funding in a supple- f mously approved GEN David Petraeus mental spending bill to strict new for his fourth star and to be com- standards for resetting, equipping, and IMPROVING AMERICA’S SECURITY mander of the multinational forces, training troops. This strategy to choke ACT OF 2007 Iraq. No Senator opposed his nomina- off resources and the Senate plan to re- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under tion. General Petraeus supports Presi- vise the use of force authorization are the previous order, the Senate will now dent Bush’s plan and new strategy in attempts to make the war in Iraq proceed to the consideration of S. 4, Iraq and has embarked on the mission unwinnable while avoiding political re- which the clerk will report. for which President Bush chose him sponsibility. The assistant legislative clerk read and for which this body unanimously As Charles Krauthammer has said: as follows: Slowly bleeding our forces by defunding confirmed him. Once again, now we are A bill (S. 4) to make the United States what our commanders think they need to being asked to disapprove and de- more secure by implementing unfinished rec- win or rewording the authorization of the authorize the very mission we have ommendations of the 9/11 Commission to use of force so that lawyers decide what op- fight the war on terror more effectively, to unanimously confirmed him to exe- erations are to be launched is no way to improve homeland security, and for other cute. Hopefully, my colleagues can see fight a war. It is no way to end a war. It is purposes. the irony, as well as the inconsistency, a way to complicate the war and make it in- in the choice they are presenting be- herently unwinnable—and to shirk the polit- The Senate proceeded to consider the fore this body. ical responsibility for doing so. bill which had been reported from the As I have said before, we need to give There is nothing easy or pretty about Committee on Homeland Security and the new strategy in Iraq a chance to war, and this war is no exception. Not Governmental Affairs, with an amend- work. If General Petraeus comes and a day passes that I don’t consider the ment to strike all after the enacting says it is not working, then I am pre- human cost of our attempt to defeat clause and insert in lieu thereof the pared to change course. President the terrorists and eradicate extremism following: Bush’s current strategy is not guaran- in Iraq and replace it with a self-reli- S. 4 teed to work. However, no approach I ant and representative government. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Rep- have seen or heard discussed in the The debate, as we move forward, resentatives of the United States of America in past several months has any greater should focus on how we can most Congress assembled, VerDate Aug 31 2005 01:25 Mar 01, 2007 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G28FE6.008 S28FEPT1 jcorcoran on PROD1PC62 with SENATE February 28, 2007 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S2293 øSECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. TITLE VI—ENHANCED DEFENSES AGAINST in accordance with this section to provide warn- øThis Act may be cited as the ‘‘Improving WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION ings regarding the risk of terrorist attacks on America’s Security by Implementing Unfin- Sec. 601. National Biosurveillance Integration the homeland to Federal, State, local, and tribal ished Recommendations of the 9/11 Commis- Center. government authorities and to the people of the sion Act of 2007’’. Sec. 602. Biosurveillance efforts. United States, as appropriate. The Secretary øSEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. Sec. 603. Interagency coordination to enhance shall exercise primary responsibility for pro- øIt is the sense of Congress that Congress defenses against nuclear and ra- viding such warnings.
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