Congressional Record—Senate S11779
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September 23, 2003 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S11779 These are the questions we ought to So I think when people use words, corner. Hopefully, we have gotten a be working on—not whether some col- they should be able to take responsi- strike since we have been accurate in league made a statement you disagree bility for those words, and I don’t what we are saying. But it was not put with and that we organize ourselves in think it casts aspersions on anyone’s to anybody’s head and it was not a structured response to that, rather patriotism. thrown hard. These were principled than take the time we ought to in But if anyone questions my right to statements about the accuracy of the order to get a situation that the Amer- stand up for my President who is statement of the Senator from Massa- ican public wanted to know more speaking before the United Nations as chusetts. We did not comment on his about, which is a deep problem that is we are talking on the floor today, then motives. We did not comment on his getting worse. The longer we fail to ad- I think they are wrong. Of course, we patriotism. We commented on the ac- dress it and try to divert attention to are going to stand up for him. Why curacy of his statement, which is a le- other matters, it does a great dis- would that be a surprise? We are in a gitimate discussion here in the Senate. service to our men and women in uni- terrible war on terrorism. We are doing I hope we keep to that. form and to the American taxpayers. everything we can to support the Presi- We have had a debate on the floor of Mr. President, I hope any further de- dent as he prosecutes that war. It is the Senate. Senator DASCHLE again bate about what one colleague says not for helping other countries exclu- questions the planning and actually would be confined to how we can get sively. It is for helping America. It is questioned whether there was a plan. the Iraq situation on the right track for American security that we are in He used terms which were used back in and how we are going to spend the bulk Iraq and Afghanistan—to keep terror- 1948. A Senator Revercomb said, ‘‘I or a good part of the $87 billion on the ists on their soil so they do not come charge tonight that there are no re- reconstruction phase of Iraq. to American soil again. straints placed upon those who admin- I yield the floor. The President has not forgotten 9/11. ister this act’’—similar to what Sen- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Sometimes I think when I hear people ator DASCHLE and Senator BYRD said. ator from Texas is recognized. talking that they have forgotten Amer- In fact, the statement has been made f ica was attacked. describing it as a ‘‘blank check.’’ Sen- People are talking about an $87 bil- STANDING UP FOR THE ator BYRD from West Virginia has used lion package. It is a big package. Many PRESIDENT that term repeatedly on the Senate of us are trying to ask for contribu- floor—only this comment is not about, Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I tions from other countries to help de- obviously, the Bush plan in Iraq; it was yield myself up to 4 minutes. I think a fray the cost of rebuilding Iraq and Af- about the Marshall plan of the Truman lot has been said here about the words ghanistan. But let me remind you administration. of Senator KENNEDY. I don’t think any- about the cost of 9/11. The cost of 9/11 is It is remarkable as I have gone one on the floor has cast aspersions on estimated at $300 billion, and that was through the CONGRESSIONAL RECORD of the Senator. He certainly has a right one incident. What will be the cost if the House and the Senate about the de- to say anything he wants to say. But I we allow terrorists to come in here be- bate and the way it happened 3 years also think many of us who believe the cause we haven’t contained them in after V–E Day. Not 3 months was the President is trying very hard to do the Iraq and Afghanistan? What will be the plan put into place, not 3 weeks was right thing for our country have the cost to the American people? this plan put into place—it took 3 right to take up for our President, We have a right to stand up for our years for the Truman administration stand up for our President, and talk President, and that is exactly what we to put a recovery plan into place in Eu- about the issues. are doing. We are trying to talk about rope and for Congress to act on it. I think Senator KENNEDY would be the policies that are important to our Back then Members of Congress the first to say he should stand by his country. talked about how this was a blank words, he must take responsibility for I yield up to 4 minutes to the Senator check which was going to be a failure his words. It is my opinion that when from Pennsylvania, after which I will and it was unwise policy. Of course, it you use words such as ‘‘fraud’’ and yield the remainder of our time to the is now seen as one of the greatest for- ‘‘bribery’’ in talking about the policies Senator from New Hampshire. eign policy accomplishments of this of the United States, it is fair game for The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. country’s history. Why? Because we us to respond to that and say I think it ENZI). The Senator from Pennsylvania. had a President at the time—and who is absolutely wrong to say we are Mr. SANTORUM. Thank you, Mr. at the time was not popular among the bribing political leaders all over the President. I thank the Senator from American people for what he was world by giving them American dol- Texas. doing—who was seen as someone who lars. The Senator from Texas noted the was not providing a great plan or We are giving foreign countries irony of our standing on the floor of strong leadership but he stuck to his American dollars for a variety of rea- the Senate at the very moment the guns. He went to the American people sons. Is it a bribe that we would make President is speaking to the United Na- at election time, and the American a loan to the country of Turkey after tions. He is speaking before the United people sustained him in office because Turkey has just led the command and Nations to rally the world for our ef- he provided leadership at a time when control of the security forces in Af- forts in Iraq. As we stand on the floor leadership was needed; when Members ghanistan, doing a great service for all of the Senate, some Members are call- of Congress were looking at their own of the people of the world to try to help ing into question the President’s ac- parochial interests instead of the inter- keep the peace and security in Afghani- tions and calling into question the ests of the country and of the world stan, which was very costly to a rel- President’s motives. It is one thing to such as, again, is the case here today. atively small country? That we would call into question his action. It is one The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- be making loans to Turkey, is that a thing to call into question his plan. ator from New Hampshire. bribe? I don’t think so. Is it a bribe to But to call into question his motives is Mr. SUNUNU. Thank you, Mr. Presi- give money to Russia for part of its one of the things that I think disturbs dent. economic improvement? I don’t think many people on this side of the aisle, I certainly join my colleagues in un- so. I think Russia has shown it can be and, frankly, many members of the derscoring the fact that, of course, this quite independent. So has Turkey. No American public. shouldn’t be a discussion about mo- one is accusing them of doing every- The Senator from Nevada said that tives or patriotism. This is not a dis- thing the United States has asked some Members here have been using cussion about a former Senator, Mr. them to do. But foreign aid is part of the baseball analogy of throwing a high Cleland, or any other individual. All of American policy and, in most in- hard one at Senator KENNEDY’s head to us have the right to disagree on issues stances, foreign aid goes for buying back him off the plate. Having re- of substance. American products. It gives them the viewed what was said here this morn- Senator DODD was absolutely right. money to buy American products to ing, I think the best thing we can The issues of substance that we should help our economy. throw is a change-up on the outside be discussing are how to succeed in VerDate jul 14 2003 01:33 Sep 24, 2003 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G23SE6.022 S23PT1 S11780 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE September 23, 2003 Iraq and how to do the right thing for AMENDMENT NO.