S9806 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE October 2, 2002 people and his enemies—the only dic- possible. Until that time, I had serious port on DOJ authorization. I do that tator on Earth who has done so. As our concerns about the administration’s because I know he opposes a significant President has said, Saddam Hussein’s policy in the Balkans. But once the piece of it, Senator HATCH’s legislation Iraq is a grave and gathering danger, a President made his decision, I worked regarding automobile dealer arbitra- clear threat to American security and with Senator Bob Dole, Senator WAR- tion, but I applaud Senator SESSIONS the security of our friends in the re- NER and many of my colleagues to for reaching beyond that for the better gion. make sure the President—a President bill, the overall bill. As I just mentioned, Congress must from the other party whom we had I compliment his work on the con- debate the question of war with Iraq. It criticized harshly for his conduct of na- ference report on the Paul Coverdell is appropriate and right for the people tional security policy—had the support Forensic Sciences Improvement of the United States to have their he needed to enforce the peace in Bos- Grants, the Center for Domestic Pre- voices heard in this debate through nia. I think my friend Senator Dole paredness in Alabama, and a number of their representatives in Congress. But would agree with me that it was one of other States. as the President has said, the nation the high points of our service in the In a hurried time, and sometimes must speak with one voice once we de- Senate. partisan Senate, we do not take enough termine to take a course that will most Thanks to the President’s leadership time to acknowledge and appreciate likely send our nation’s young men and over the past few months, the Congress work done by those on the other side of women to war. has been moving steadily to support the aisle. I take this moment to ex- The President has patiently worked the President’s determination to hold press my appreciation of the work of with Congressional leaders to craft a Saddam Hussein accountable to the the Senator from Alabama, Mr. SES- resolution authorizing him to take nec- world. I urge all my colleagues to SIONS. essary action in Iraq to defend Amer- renew their efforts to come together on Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, it is the intention of Senator HATCH and I to ican national security and enforce all one resolution—to show the world we move to suspend paragraphs 2 and 3 of relevant U.N. Security Council resolu- are united with the President to en- rule XXVIII of the Standing Rules of tions. The resolution is a product of force the terms of the gulf war the Senate for consideration of the compromise that protects both con- ceasefire and prevent Saddam Hussein conference report on H.R. 2215, the De- gressional prerogatives and the author- from threatening our and the world’s partment of Justice Appropriations ity of the Commander in Chief to use security ever again. Authorization Act. whatever means he determines nec- Again, I want to thank Senator essary to protect American security. LIEBERMAN, Senator BAYH, and Senator f The President’s authority is not ab- WARNER, and I especially would like to TRIBUTE TO STROM THURMOND solute on these matters. But he is the mention Senator LIEBERMAN and Sen- Mr. GRAMM. Let me also say that I Commander in Chief, and he has made ator BAYH have shown some courage on put a statement in the RECORD today clear that congressional action to tie the floor of the Senate, as Senator about STROM THURMOND. I was busy his hands, to limit the way he can re- WARNER and I have had to do in the trying to deal with homeland security spond to threats to the security of the past, when perhaps the majority of our when we had the time to speak on American people, will damage our party may not have been in complete STROM THURMOND. But I do want to re- country’s ability to respond to the agreement. late one story about STROM, which is in clear and present danger posed by Sad- I yield the floor. my statement in the RECORD. When I dam Hussein’s Iraq. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- was elected, like many new Senators There is a reason why the Constitu- ator from Virginia. do, before we went into session I tion vests shared power in the Presi- Mr. WARNER. Madam President, this brought my two sons to the Senate. I dent and the Congress on matters of concludes the introduction of this mat- guess one of them was about 8 and one war. But there is also a reason why the ter to the Senate. I thank my friend of them was about 10—or maybe 10 and Constitution recognizes the President JOHN MCCAIN for his leadership on this 12, I lose track. of the United States as Commander in issue from the very beginning, as he Anyway, we found my desk. So I said Chief. Limiting the President’s ability consulted in the process with Senator to my sons: Do you all want to sit in to defend the United States, when Con- LOTT and others with regard to this my chair? By this time they had gress and the President agree on the resolution. looked around at all of the desks, and nature of the threat posed to the If those who wish to join us would they decided they didn’t want to sit in United States by Iraq, is unwise. kindly indicate their expressions of my chair. They wanted to sit in Barry No resolution tying the President’s support to the leaders, myself, Senator Goldwater’s chair and STROM THUR- hands or limiting the President’s abil- MCCAIN, and Senator LOTT. Before MOND’s chair. ity to respond to a clearly defined leaving the floor, Senator HELMS indi- I guess at the time, my feelings were threat can anticipate the decisions the cated his strong support, and in due a little hurt. But looking back, when I President will have to make in coming course we will constitute the cospon- am sitting on the front porch of a nurs- weeks and months, with American sors of this resolution as we move for- ing home somewhere and nobody re- forces deployed overseas on his orders, ward. members who I am or what I ever did, to defend American security. We can- I suggest the absence of a quorum. I am going to be able to say to myself: not foresee the course or end of this The PRESIDING OFFICER. The I knew and I served with the great conflict, even though to most of us the clerk will call the roll. STROM THURMOND. An absolutely re- threat is abundantly clear, and the The bill clerk proceeded to call the markable man, not because he is 100 course of action we must pursue is ap- roll. years old, in the Senate, but because he parent. That’s why there is one Com- Mr. SESSIONS. Madam President, I is forever young—not in a physical mander in Chief, not 535 of them. Re- ask unanimous consent that the order sense. My God, his physical capacities stricting the President’s flexibility to for the quorum call be rescinded. are amazing. conduct military action against a The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without I remember one night, it was about 2 threat that has been defined and iden- objection, it is so ordered. in the morning, we were in session. tified makes the United States less ca- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen- Senator BYRD was keeping us here to pable of responding to that threat. ator from Vermont. debate something. I was dog tired. I Supporting the President in his role f was talking to STROM, and he was la- as Commander in Chief does not nec- menting that his brother had died be- essarily mean supporting the Presi- BIPARTISAN SUPPORT OF H.R. 2215 cause he hadn’t taken care of himself dent’s policy on matters of national se- Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I and burned the candle at both ends. curity. In 1995, President Clinton deter- take a moment while the Senator from I said to STROM: How old was your mined to deploy American forces to Alabama is here. I thank Senator SES- brother? He was 89 years old. But to Bosnia to uphold a fragile peace in a SIONS for his statement yesterday in STROM, that was not taking care of land where many said peace was not support of the bipartisan conference re- yourself.

VerDate Sep 04 2002 03:18 Oct 03, 2002 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00028 Fmt 4624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G02OC6.054 S02PT1 October 2, 2002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S9807 The amazing thing about STROM buy terrorism insurance. The President relative to the contributions of Sen- THURMOND’s eternal youth is not phys- has asked us to move forward on a bill. ator STROM THURMOND and Senator ical, it is mental. This is a man in his In October, the House had already JESSE HELMS. But one of the things long career who could learn new les- acted on the bill and, on a bipartisan outstanding in my mind is the tours sons. This is a man who is not ashamed basis, Senator DODD, Senator SAR- that Senator THURMOND used to give to say: I am not as ignorant as I used BANES, Senator ENZI, and I worked out when we had a social event here in the to be. This is a man who could admit to a compromise which was agreed to by Capitol. Upon the conclusion of the changing his mind. the Treasury that had a compromise on event, he would offer to take at least We are in the only profession where the issue of: Can you sue somebody some of the guests on a night tour of people look down on you if you learn who is a victim of terrorism for puni- the Capitol, and he would recite in- something; that somehow you are in- tive damages? stances that occurred 30, 40, 50, and al- consistent if you thought one way one The President’s view is very strong most 200 years ago relative to the sa- day and you acquire more information on the subject; that is, when somebody cred surroundings and the Old Chamber and you change your mind. has been the victim of terrorism, it is where the Supreme Court originally The most amazing thing about like someone coming onto a hospital was here in the Capitol, and reflect hu- STROM THURMOND to me is that ship to prey on them by filing lawsuits morous stories of who sat where and through all of his public service, from against them. Lawsuits against terror- what their personal traits might be. supreme court justice in South Caro- ists is fine, but for victims of terrorism Looking back on my 22 years in the lina, from superintendent of schools, to there shouldn’t be punitive damages. Senate, I treasure those moments. My general in the Army on D-Day—we all We worked out a compromise on a bi- wife Nancy and I often have talked know the story about one of our col- partisan basis. But the plaintiff’s bar about them. Unfortunately, his health leagues going over with President came out against that compromise, does not allow him to conduct those Reagan and saying to STROM he should and, as a result, we have never been tours anymore, but for those who were have been there at Normandy, and able to do anything from that point on. fortunate enough to share a few mo- STROM said he was there. And he was Again, it is the case where there is a ments of his humor on those tours, the there when it counted, on June 6, 1944— powerful special interest that is pre- historical references, his magnificent is that eternal youth, that ability to venting us from promoting the public memory, and the reference to the learn something new, to have a new interest. uniqueness of the Senate, and the out- perspective and to change that makes I am hopeful in the remaining days of standing highlights of the various ca- STROM THURMOND the most remarkable this session—and I believe unless the reers of those who have come and gone, person with whom I have served. end point is changed, today is Wednes- it was truly a memorable experience. f day, so tomorrow is Thursday; we are Today, we set aside time for Members probably not going to do a lot of work to comment on Senator HELMS who is HOMELAND SECURITY AND on Friday or Monday. Then we are also leaving us. Again, it is a matter of TERRORISM INSURANCE planning to adjourn Thursday, or Fri- individual impressions that Members Mr. GRAMM. Finally, seeing I have day, or Saturday at the latest—if we leave you with. another colleague come to the floor, I are ever going to do something on Without exception, Senator HELMS’ want to say something about two homeland security and terrorism insur- comments on this floor back in 1983 issues that are before us that I am frus- ance, we had better get on with it. stand out in my memory as certainly trated with, as, I am sure, are many of The amazing thing is that it is appar- the most significant, most timely, and my colleagues. But in both cases, our ently going to be very easy for us to most on target references to a fright- problem is the power of special inter- pass a resolution giving the President ening situation that occurred. That ests as pitted against the public inter- the power to go to war. I support that was the shooting down of the Korean est. We are trying to do a homeland se- because I think American security in- Airlines flight 007, which was shot curity bill, and it is not easy because terests are at stake. We can do that be- down by a Soviet Sukhoi 15 fighter jet to change the way Government does cause there is no well-organized, pow- on September 1, 1983. That flight was business is to take on a powerful polit- erful political special interest group on its way from Anchorage, AK, to ical constituency, the Government em- that supports Saddam Hussein. But we Seoul, Korea. There were 269 lives lost, ployee labor unions. They are orga- can’t do homeland security and we including a Congressman, Larry nized and they are active. We are all can’t do terrorism insurance because McDonald. aware that we are having an election there are organized, effective, powerful At that time, Senator HELMS and next month. Members are being forced special interest groups that oppose Senator Symms, the former Senator to choose between national security what we are trying to do. I hope we can from Idaho, were on another Korean and political security, to choose wheth- overcome that hurdle. I hope in the Airlines flight that was in transit in er we are putting business as usual and process we can pass these two impor- Anchorage the same time as the Ko- work rules negotiated between the tant bills. rean Airlines flight 007. Government and unions above pro- I yield the floor. I was in the Senate Chamber when tecting the lives of our citizens. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ED- Senator HELMS delivered his floor It is frustrating to me that even WARDS). The Senator from Alaska. statement on September 15, 1983. There when people’s lives are on the line, f were many who were commenting and powerful special interests can wield the TRIBUTE TO SENATOR JESSE making statements, but by far the kind of power that the Government most moving statement was Senator employee labor unions have been able HELMS AND SENATOR STROM THURMOND HELMS’. I am going to take the liberty to bring to bear on this issue. of quoting a bit of his statement at I had always thought when we start- Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I that time. Let me quote the statement ed this debate that when we were talk- am sorry I could not get the floor ear- of Senator HELMS as follows: ing about protecting the lives of Amer- lier. But I assume we are still in morn- Mr. HELMS. I was on the Korean airplane icans, we were going to give the Presi- ing business, and that I may proceed that landed in Anchorage for refueling 20 dent the benefit of the doubt. But at with reference to a couple of our col- minutes after the ill-fated plane. Both planes least to this point we have not. leagues who are leaving. I was unavoid- were on the ground for more than an hour, A second issue is terrorism insur- ably detained in a conference meeting meaning that both planes were there to- ance. I was with the President yester- with the House of Representatives on gether for the better part of an hour. Most of day. Many of our colleagues were the status of the energy bill. the passengers on both planes went into the there. He was talking about $16 billion First, I think it is important as we terminal. It so happens that the distinguished Con- of projects, 300,000 construction hard- see our friends depart from this body to gressman from Georgia, Representative hat jobs that we were not creating be- talk about what is outstanding in our Larry McDonald, did not, or I did not see cause people were afraid to build high- own minds relative to their contribu- him. But in the lounge of the terminal I saw profile projects because they cannot tions. One could go on at great length one of the most delightful young families

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