Congressional Record—House H7867
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September 30, 2004 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H7867 clear, there will be much increased po- to expel him from Kuwait, but also Clinton administration for using U.S. troops tential for damage, and the rising sea when the President made the decision in what he called ‘‘nation-building.’’ levels will create more flooding from that we had achieved our objectives ‘‘I’m worried about an opponent who uses nation-building and the military in the same the storm surges. and we were not going to get bogged sentence,’’ he told a rally. ‘‘My view of the It is time for the United States to down in the problems of trying to take military is for our military to be properly work with other developed countries to over and govern Iraq.’’ prepared to fight and win wars—therefore, recognize the threat of global climate I am entering Mr. Connelly’s column (to) prevent war from happening in the first warming, to cooperate on solutions to in the RECORD. It is seattlepi.com. place.’’ reduce greenhouse gases. Future gen- Read it. What are we doing in Iraq if not ‘‘nation- erations will be grateful. Mr. Speaker, they may call it swag- building?’’ Enmeshed in Iraq, are we properly prepared to fight such crazies as the nuclear f ger in Texas, but we call it truth in weapon-equipped ‘‘Great Leader’’ of North Washington State. MARRIAGE PROTECTION Korea, Kim Jong II? Our Real Enemy: Two days after 9/11, AMENDMENT [From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Sept. 29, 2004] President Bush declared: ‘‘The most impor- tant thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. (Mr. PITTS asked and was given per- IN THE NORTHWEST: BUSH-CHENEY FLIP-FLOPS It is our No. 1 priority, and we will not rest mission to address the House for 1 COST AMERICA IN BLOOD minute and to revise and extend his re- until we find him.’’ (By Joel Connelly) Six months later, laying political ground- marks.) As George W. Bush has lately shown, the work for the Iraq war, the President said: ‘‘I Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, today we tactic of successfully defining your opponent don’t know where he is. I have no idea and I will debate and vote on an issue of crit- is to political conflict what occupying the really don’t care. It’s not that important. ical importance to our society: mar- high ground is to waging war. It’s not our priority.’’ riage. The Bush-Cheney campaign has gleefully The 9/11 Commission: The White House ini- The issue is whether we will stand labeled John Kerry a flip-flopper. But what tially opposed creation of an independent idly by as a few unelected judges rede- of Bush-Cheney flip-flops? They’re getting a commission to investigate causes of the 9/11 atrocities. A July 2002 statement read: ‘‘The fine the family for us, or if we will take lot less ink, but America is paying a price in blood. administration would oppose an amendment a stand and say enough is enough. The Little noticed, and worthy of lengthy con- that would create a new commission to con- best home for kids is with their mom sideration, is a speech delivered by then-De- duct a similar review (to Congress’ investiga- and dad. Children cannot do better fense Secretary Dick Cheney in 1992 to the tion).’’ than that, and we should not try to re- Discovery Institute in Seattle. The administration reversed course five define marriage. The words of our future vice president—de- months later. The bipartisan commission, in- cluding former Sen. Slade Gorton, R–WA, Unfortunately, some claim that this fending the decision to end Gulf War I with- out occupying Iraq—eerily foretell today’s distinguished itself at hearings and in its is an issue for the States. Indeed, it is findings and recommendations. if that is what was happening. It is not. morass. Here is what Cheney said in ’92: ‘‘I would guess if we had gone in there, I Homeland Security: In the fall of 2001 Sens. OHN MCCAIN, R–AZ, and JOE LIEBERMAN, D– Activist courts are circumventing the would still have forces in Baghdad today. J CT, proposed creating a Cabinet-level De- States in order to make this happen. We’d be running the country. We would not We would never debate it. The States partment of Homeland Security. have been able to get everybody out and White House press secretary Ari Fleischer would never debate it. The American bring everybody home. outlined the administration’s opposition in people would never debate. That is how ‘‘And the final point that I think needs to October 2001, saying Congress did not need to the activist groups and the activist be made is this question of casaualties. I make the director’s job ‘‘a statutory post’’ judges want it. States rights are mean- don’t think you could have done all of that and that ‘‘every agency of the government ingless if judges ultimately make the without significant additional U.S. casual- has security concerns.’’ ties. And while everybody was tremendously A year later, the Bush administration was decisions. impressed with the low cost of the (1991) con- Mr. Speaker, this House should pass flaying Sen. MAX CLELAND, D–GA—a Viet- flict, for the 146 Americans who were killed nam triple amputee—for allegedly being an the marriage protection amendment in action and for their families, it wasn’t a obstacle to creation of the department. Anti- and send it to the State legislatures for cheap war. Cleland ads showing Osama bin Laden and their ratification so the courts do not ‘‘And the question in my mind is how Saddam Hussein flashed across the TV become the final maker of family pol- many additional American casualties is Sad- screens of Georgia. icy. Kids do best with a mom and dad. dam (Hussein) worth? And the answer is not Such are this administration’s major na- that damned many. So, I think we got it tional security flip-flops. But other flips bear f right, both when we decided to expel him on our safety. CHENEY HAD IT RIGHT FIRST from Kuwait, but also when the president During the 2000 campaign, candidate Bush TIME made the decision that we’d achieved our ob- pledged to limit carbon dioxide emissions jectives and we were not going to get bogged into the atmosphere. It didn’t happen. The (Mr. MCDERMOTT asked and was down in the problems of trying to take over President promised to support—or at least given permission to address the House and govern Iraq.’’ sign—renewal of Congress’ 1994 ban on mili- for 1 minute and to revise and extend How—given what he said then—does Che- tary-style assault weapons. The Bush admin- his remarks and include extraneous ney get off challenging the judgment and istration didn’t lift a finger to extend the material.) strength of those who argue that we are ban, which recently expired. bogged down and shedding blood today? Out here on America’s ‘‘Left Coast,’’ can- Mr. MCDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, the Is Sadddam worth the lives of 1,046 (at last didate George Bush proclaimed himself a Vice President had it right on Iraq the count) dead Americans, and 7,000 injured steadfast free trader. Even today, Republican first time, and now we know that be- Americans? State Chairman Chris Vance hammers Kerry cause of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer Dick Cheney posed the hard-nosed ques- as a flip-flopper on trade. newspaper columnist Joe Connelly. tions that should be asked by a president in How, then, to explain the President’s 2002 The Vice President was Defense Sec- time of war. George Bush is out on the cam- decision to slap tariffs of 8 to 30 percent on steel imports to the United States? (The tar- retary during the first Gulf War. Mr. paign trail boasting he’s hard-nosed because he didn’t ask how a ‘‘Mission Accomplished!’’ iffs were lifted after 21 months.) CHENEY told a Seattle audience in 1992 Answer: The steel-producing states of could unravel. that it was folly to spill American Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia have Kerry is taking a pounding from the re- 46 fought-over electoral votes in this year’s blood to try to get Saddam or try to lentless Republican machine. A GOP TV ad election. govern Iraq. This column ought to be shows Kerry windsurfing, with Strauss’ required reading before the Presi- ‘‘Blue Danube’’ waltz playing in the back- f dential debates. ground, as the voice-over claims the nominee b 1015 These are DICK CHENEY’s exact words has shifted positions ‘‘whichever way the in defending the first President Bush’s wind blows.’’ HISTORIC MEETING BETWEEN decision to leave Iraq and Saddam Hus- In case the ‘‘mainstream’’ media are inter- INDIA AND PAKISTAN LEADERS sein: ‘‘And the question in my mind is ested, or Fox News wants to balance its re- OFFERS HOPE porting to furnish a few moments of fairness, how many additional American casual- here are a few Bush flip-flops that might be (Mr. WILSON of South Carolina ties is Saddam worth? And the answer put before the voters: asked and was given permission to ad- is not that damned many. So I think Nation-Building: As a candidate, Dubya dress the House for 1 minute and to re- we got it right, both when we decided traveled the land in 2000 denouncing the vise and extend his remarks.) VerDate Aug 04 2004 03:04 Oct 01, 2004 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K30SE7.005 H30PT1 H7868 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE September 30, 2004 Mr.