April 22, 1999 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 7337 Romanian authorities. Former US Ambas- questions and kindly appeal for your inter- the world, while believing that these things sador to Romania, Mr. David Funderburk, vention to the proper departments in order are going to be dealt with properly. has visited our church and my family several to insure that the image United States is I thank you all for listening or reading this times, and continuously showed his support, portraying to the Romanian tourists is a letter, for understanding our feelings and for thus alleviating some of the pain. better one. taking action. Following the 1989 Romanian Revolution, I Another great concern that I have per- Respectfully yours. have been blessed with an invitation to take taining to travelling in the United States is f part in the 1990 National Prayer Breakfast, the procedure that the U.S. Department of as a pastor, together with a Romanian dele- State has established for Romanian appli- SALUTE TO NEWT gation. I have been part of this magnificent cants for visitor’s visas. I have raised this event every year. Since 1990, I have visited issue in conversations with U.S. Ambassador the United States several times for meetings to Romania James Rosapepe and the U.S. HON. JENNIFER DUNN with diplomats and/or social-cultural and re- Consul, Mr. Patterson, and was told that my OF WASHINGTON ligious organizations. My colleagues are concern was not uncommon but unfortu- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES looking at me as at someone who truly sup- nately procedures are set in Washington DC. ports relations with the United States by An application for a visitor’s visa, which Thursday, April 22, 1999 proven activity. However, I am saddened to is, in fact, an interview tax, costs $45. Apart Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, at the ‘‘Salute to say that not all of my visits have been pleas- the fact that the applicant must dem- Newt’’ last Wednesday, our former Speaker of ant. This last arrival in your country has onstrate ‘‘strong ties’’ to the origin country the House again proved that, in the words of been most uncomfortable, to say the least. and, therefore, for the U.S. Embassy to avoid TIME Magazine, he ‘‘belongs in the category On January 7th 1999, I arrived in the the danger of a new immigrant, (demonstra- United States with a Visitor’s Visa and Dip- tion that is not always taken into consider- of the exceptional.’’ Newt Gingrich is a man lomatic Passport, on board flight no. 120 ation on a consistent criteria basis), the ap- who thinks both with a vision for our country (Route: Bucharest-Zurich-Atlanta) of Swiss- plicant has to pay for the visa, for the travel and with compassion in his heart, and I bring air, at Atlanta’s International Airport, to Bucharest in order to give an interview his remarks from that special evening to your around 2:00 p.m. Upon the U.S. Immigration with the Consul, interview which occurs only attention. inspection service, I was asked by a female 1 or 2 out of 10 applications, the rest being Joined by the Gingrich family and friends, officer of the U.S. Customs if I was from Ro- just useless conversations with some desk of- the event was a wonderful tribute to Newt. mania. As a result of my positive answer, she ficer at the U.S. Consulate. A simple arith- Mary Tyler Moore, International Chair of the asked me to open my luggage and they start- metic shows that the applicant pays some- ed taking my personal belongings out in the times his or her monthly salary (an average Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, said it best in open while laughing. When I saw the scene salary in Romania is about $120/month) just her introduction of Speaker Gingrich. Moore caused by this incident, I asked kindly to see to learn that he or she has been rejected and said, ‘‘Newt Gingrich may be many things to what they were looking for. ‘‘Food’’, they re- thus is not allowed to travel to the U.S. many people, but to us he is a champion and plied. I told them I didn’t have any. How- Should I mention to you also that rejected a hero—and his leadership in Congress will be ever, they continued to do the same thing. applicants never get back their money? Or is sorely missed.’’ A portion of the proceeds from When they were done emptying my luggage, there a way to make money out of the sin- this event were donated to the Juvenile Diabe- I started collecting my pajamas and other cere and legitimate desire of Romanians to tes Foundation. belongings attempting to pack as people travel to the U.S.? And when taking into were looking at me as to a criminal who just consideration the original if not strange As the man who led us in capturing and got caught smuggling something illegal into technique of the ‘‘visa lottery’’, one could holding a Republican majority in Congress for the United States. I can’t explain my hurt picture a very commercial way to observe the first time since 1928, his comments con- and embarrassment caused by these officers the universal right to free travel and circula- tinue to offer each of us insight for the future. who continued to joke. When they asked me tion of any citizen of the world. I strongly In a very real way, I hope tonight does what I was coming to the States for, I told believe that principles are to be observed not symbolize what America is all about. Jona- them that I was invited to attend the Na- only by declarations, but also by facts. And than as a person, not just a symbol for a tional Prayer Breakfast with their Presi- people can feel the difference. I remember a cause. Mary Tyler Moore as a person, not dent. They laughed again. I showed them the demonstration in front of the U.S. Embassy just a symbol of a cause. But the fact that Diplomatic Passport and the invitation, when people were carrying slogans like: America is about 260 million real people of which prompted them to laugh even harder ‘‘The Berlin’s walls were moved to the U.S. remarkable diversity, each of them with ex- and said: ‘‘Send our greetings to Bill Clinton Embassy’’. traordinary God given talents, and each of from us, Tom & Jerry’’.... I was shocked Few years ago, talking to the U.S. consul them needing the help of their fellow Amer- by their arrogance. in Bucharest about visa issues, I told him ican to use all those talents. Of all the custom inspection services in the that the U.S. Government was accusing We were able, for a five-year period, to do world, this should have been the most pain- Ceausescu about restraining the Romanian’s a great job because of each of you. Because less and most comfortable, especially since I right to travel free and he replied that ‘‘trav- of those of you who are members, those of did not break the law in any way. If a U.S. eling to America is not a right, but a privi- you who are on my staff, those of you who citizen travelling to Romania would be sub- lege’’. were supporters, donors, volunteers, friends; jected to such humiliation and mockery, U.S. citizens come to Romania without ap- it was team effort. would probably say that Romanians are bar- plying for a visa, nor paying for one (unless Time magazine named me ‘‘Man of the barians and the country is still communist. they stay longer than 30 days). I strongly be- Year’’ in 1995, but in fact, it should have been I honestly hope that you can imagine my lieve that in the spirit of democracy, The the ‘‘Team of the Year,’’ because it was a frustration. United States Department should take meas- very remarkable, collective effort, by an ex- The fact is that this incident with the ures to waive discriminating treatment and traordinary range of people. opening and emptying of luggages in cus- to envisage a reciprocal one. My daughters talked about me as a father, toms was not a first. In September 1996, at As an advocate for the democratic system but the truth is, they’re pretty good daugh- the International Airport in Portland, Or- of United States who has not given up under ters. And they spent a lot of time on the egon, I had another similar experience. Other the pressure of communism, I come before phone with me, and now we’re all into email colleagues and acquaintances have told me you urging you to take this appeal in consid- so it’s gotten even more chaotic, {laughter} their experiences as well, leading me to the eration. People of Romania are not 2nd class and they and Marianne track me as much as conclusion that some measures must be citizens, they are not beggars, nor criminals. I track them because I think life, in that taken. We have our dignity and would like to be sense, is a team effort. What is the conception or the mentality of treated accordingly. We look up to the Marianne recognized, and I was so grateful the U.S. Customs Officers pertaining to us United States, to Americans, to anything that she did so, and we talked about it ear- Romanians who come in the United States as that carrys a label ‘‘made in America’’ with lier, but she recognized the Capitol Police. I visitors? Why are we treated as 2nd class open heart. Romanians want to be part of think all of you, particularly those of you citizens (or even worse)? Why can’t we feel NATO and part of the Western culture, how- who go to the Capitol fairly often, who, as I welcomed into this great democratic coun- ever, aspects of life such as ones mentioned often do, take them for granted, all of us try? Why are we Romanians different than here are making us believe that we are not were brought up short when Officer J.J. other travellers? Or, if not considered dif- welcomed. We are treated sometimes as we Chestnut and Detective John Gibson were ferent, then why are we treated differently? are not good enough to be worth a chance. killed. I think it was a reminder, a wake up As a representative of Romanian people both I close this appeal by saying that I will call if you will, that these men and women in the Romanian Government and abroad in continue to believe and to preach the model literally risk their lives for their country, foreign relations, it is my duty to ask these of democracy that United States offers to and in that case, two of them paid to protect

VerDate jul 14 2003 10:55 Sep 29, 2004 Jkt 069102 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR99\E22AP9.000 E22AP9 7338 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 22, 1999 the Capitol with their lives, and I want to re- We passed welfare reform. We passed it To the Lincoln Memorial, a man who by peat what Marianne said and just say to all three times—twice it was vetoed, the third sheer will insisted that we would be a union, of you who are here tonight, thank you for time the president announced he had in- and a memorial which can never be visited four years of wonderful service and protec- vented it and signed it with great glee. without profit by any who would understand tion and I am very grateful to each and But frankly that’s less important than the both what has made America, and how deep- every one of you, and I regard you as my fact that today there are 43% fewer people on ly God is a part of our experience friends, and I know from the fact that you welfare and 43% more Americans out there To the opposite end of the mall, where participated in so many trips with me and on earning a living, having a chance to pursue General Grant’s statute stands below the occasion laughed at various and sundry happiness, showing their children that the Capitol that he defended, and we are re- dumb things I was saying, that you are my work ethic matters, and that’s good for minded that this nation was, in the end, cre- friends. America, and it’s good for individual Ameri- ated in blood at Valley Forge and elsewhere, You see different pictures, we talk about, cans. and stained in blood at Antietam and Get- one of the pictures was about mental health The pictures that Charlton Heston talked tysburg. parity, and my mother has had challenges about, that he narrated, that showed John To the FDR monument. To the greatest for over twenty years involving bi-polar dis- Kasich and Pete Domenici signing the budg- president of the twentieth century, a man ease. I walk every year in the breast cancer et deal which was in fact an extraordinary who presided over the defeat, and led in the effort, and my sister Robbie, who is here, is achievement. effort to defeat, Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy a survivor of breast cancer and we know first People tend to forget, we were projected, and Imperial Japan. hand how serious and how real it is. when I became Speaker, we were projected to Again and again, from monuments to the I think at every level, my brother and my have over the next decade a three trillion, First and Second World Wars, to monuments sisters are here tonight, my daughters, one hundred billion dollar deficit. I believe it to the Koran War, to the Vietnam Memorial, Marianne, all of us felt it personally, but I was announced yesterday that the surplus we are reminded that freedom is expensive, think for many of you, those in office and for this year is one hundred and eleven bil- that it requires constant effort, and that we those out of office, those in Washington and lion on a unified basis and even if you dis- have a duty in our generation to take the those around the country, I think you know count all the Social Security revenue, we freedom our parents gave Us and to strength- that you were as much a part of our extended have reduced the deficit for the operating en it, improve it, and give our children, and family, and that it was very, very real, and budget to 16 billion. Numbers which I would grandchildren as my daughter pointed out, that together, we accomplished a lot. venture to say in the summer of 1994, you even more freedom. These are monuments to I think it’s a very important thing that could have gotten a 50 million to one bet the sacrifices that lay at the very heart of this city doesn’t do a very good job of giving against that particular possibility. freedom. us credit for it, because it would make the We have now created, by balancing the I believe that in the next two decades, we establishment of this city very uncomfort- budget, the lower interest rates that are have an opportunity to decisively extend able, but I think we ought to recognize that fueling the economy. We also have a chance freedom. And I believe there are five key together, we ended, as that one video shows to save Social Security, and we are in a posi- steps to greater freedom in the next decade so lovingly, 40 years of Democrat control. tion where we can cut taxes and return to or two. Together, for the first time in 68 years, we the American people the money that belongs Some of them are domestic, some of them re-elected a Republican majority. Together, to them. international. Many of them will be con- for the first time since 1926 we ended up And let me remind you that when we bal- troversial. Let me tell you what the five key keeping that majority for the third time. anced the budget, we did so in a bill which steps to freedom are in the next few years. And it is with enormous pride that we have cut taxes for the first time in seventeen The first is here at home. It is the freedom here tonight, my dear friend Speaker Denny years, and part of this prosperity is the fact to save for your own retirement, without Hastert. As I told the House Republican Conference that we cut the capital gains tax and, once politicians controlling your money. in a rather exciting meeting one afternoon again, lowering the cost of job creation paid It will be controversial. There will be a just before we went on home for Christmas, off, as more and more people got in the busi- fight. People will flinch from it at times. But I thought that in the context we were in that ness of creating jobs. it is an objective fact that the Social Secu- Denny was absolutely the only person who We also saved Medicare for what now looks rity actuaries will report that being allowed could hold the party together, and I called like it will be a 15 or 20 year period, without to have a Social Security Plus account that him today to congratulate him as the budget having raised the FICA tax, and we began you invest will save Social Security perma- passed, something which I had not been able strengthening defense and intelligence, and I nently, without a tax increase or a benefit to accomplish for all of last year. am particularly proud that Porter Goss, who cut, will do so with such enormous economic And to get it through, on time, and to pass is here tonight, is continuing to lead as the repercussions, that the Social Security actu- it, even with a couple of Democratic votes Chair of the Intelligence Committee and to aries believe that our children will have to helping add the margin, was a great achieve- give us a chance to really reshape our intel- cut the FICA tax, because the surpluses in ment. I think this is part of what the human ligence. the trust fund will simply grow too large to experience is about. Now, I spent the last four months with be managed. It’s important to understand that I left the Marianne studying, thinking, trying to learn Now, that is a future which the surplus of Capitol with an extraordinary sense of happi- a few things and get a chance to be outside the budget gives us a window now to take ad- ness because for 20 years I had been allowed the daily business of this city. And for just a vantage of, and I think we should have the to serve the people of Georgia, because for 5 few minutes, I’d like to share with you sort moral courage to say to the American peo- years I was allowed to lead the House Repub- of my initial reflections. This has been my ple, ‘the president was half right.’ lican party, one of those years in all hon- first chance to come back and to have a He was right in saying let’s invest it, he esty, with Bob Michel’s total support be- chance to share with you. was wrong in saying let the politicians in- cause he was still the leader, but in every And let me say, I want to pick up on what vest it, and we believe enough in the Amer- way he supported my effort for us to be a Connie Mack said. I believe that we are the ican people to find a way to get them some majority. party of freedom, and we only make sense as kind of tax credit out of that surplus so that For four years, with your help, I was al- the party of freedom. I believe that we rep- every American, when they go to work and lowed to serve as the Speaker of the House, resent the cause of freedom, which is even they start to pay a FICA tax, they have the and I felt that as a visionary and a strategist bigger than our party. right, and the duty, to save for their own re- and a teacher that I had carried us as far as And I believe that America is the country tirement, with them, not the politicians, in I could, and that frankly we needed a legisla- of freedom. I believe that as you go around control of that saving. tive leader who would focus on leading the this town, from the Washington Monument And that will end class warfare in America House Republican party as a legislative built to a man who led the Continental in a half generation as every worker in body, and I am extremely proud of Denny, Army, presided over the Constitutional Con- America comes to own part of the American and I think he is going to end up being a very vention, and literally served as father of his dream, and every worker in America sees effective Speaker, and I think when he is re- country for eight years, a man without their account, and their savings. And, in the elected two or three more times he will be a whom we could not be the country we are. process, the economy will grow faster, Social very, very powerful Speaker, and I will be To the Jefferson Memorial, a man who Security will be saved, and we will have back at that point to visit you occasionally wrote the Declaration of Independence, who moved power out of Washington, and back to and chat with you about ideas that I’m de- was Governor of Virginia during the Revolu- the American people. veloping, that I hope you will schedule. tionary War, who helped us create the Bill of Second: We ought to have the freedom to It’s important to remember that not only Rights, who founded the Democratic party to work for ourselves, for our families, for our did we achieve a lot in power, because it was have legitimate dissent without treason, a communities, for our religious institutions. a decisive transition in power in this city, new concept in the late eighteenth century, And I believe, in peace time, that means that but we achieved a lot in policy. and then presided as president. we should establish a cap on all taxation,

VerDate jul 14 2003 10:55 Sep 29, 2004 Jkt 069102 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR99\E22AP9.000 E22AP9 April 22, 1999 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 7339 state, federal and local combined, at 25% of Fourth, and this is particularly important truths. It doesn’t say they apply to white income, and no American should pay more for Republicans, but it is crucial to all Amer- males. It doesn’t say they are Western Euro- than 25%. icans. We need freedom for all Americans to pean. All are created equal. Endowed by One of the purposes of this political action pursue happiness. their Creator. committee will be to write every Republican It really struck me about 2 weeks after the I think the United States has to lead. I county, and district, and state organization election. The democrats had run racist ads, think we need a great debate, that’s very as they have their conventions next year, and they were terrible, and it was a des- straightforward. If you think the world will and urge them to adopt a platform plank picable campaign, and it was deliberate. But be safer if the United States hides, join that that calls for a 25% cap. it was tragically our failure over the pre- side. If you think the world will be safer if We’re not going to get there overnight. ceding four years to so behave that in every we lead, join this side. Let’s divide up. Let’s We’re not going to get there in three or four black and Hispanic community local people have a fight over it. I think overwhelmingly years. But as someone who did preside, after didn’t automatically say, ‘‘That ad is balo- the country will choose that we have to lead. all, over reforming welfare, balancing the ney.’’ When we start to lead, I think the goal of budget, cutting taxes and saving Medicare, I We have to decide that we truly mean that our leadership should be simple: We want think I can say that I have some sense of every American is endowed by their creator. every single citizen on the planet to be free, what’s doable. Every American with disabilities, and Jon- safe and prosperous. And the fact is, in 1970, Governor Ronald athan is here tonight. Every American who And we are prepared to provide moral lead- Reagan went to the Governor’s Association has a long-term disease. The young people ership, we are prepared to encourage mis- and proposed welfare reform. He was de- who were up here tonight who will spend a sionary activities, both religious and sec- feated forty-nine to one. Twenty-six years lifetime without hour help having to inject, ular, we are prepared to support commercial later, standing on his shoulders, we passed having to monitor carefully, having to expe- activity, we are prepared when necessary to that welfare reform. rience everything Mary shared with us. support diplomatic, police and, if necessary, Government grew big because of the De- Young Americans who are black, or His- military activity. But we truly believe the pression and the Second World War. It has no panic, or Native American. And we have to time has come for the planet to be free, be- justification for being this big except our decide that we, as a party, and we as individ- cause our children will never be free if there lack of cleverness at applying privatization, uals mean it enough that we are going to are large pockets of dictatorship, tyranny setting priorities, and modernizing the sys- break through the baloney, break through and terrorism on this planet. tem to make it smaller. the bureaucracy, insist on results, and we’re That requires us, and this is not a com- And I think as a party, we should adopt the going to reach out in every neighborhood. ment on the Clinton administration, it re- principle that over the next 15 years we will Some work has been done in this direction, quires us as Americans to rethink our strate- shrink government until we get it down to but frankly it is far too little, we are far too gies and to rethink our systems. no more than 25% of your income. Because, timid, we don’t challenge ourselves enough, We can’t just bully the planet into fol- after all, if there was a big war, you would and we should recognize that if God has truly lowing us. We could when it was the Soviet have to raise taxes, and if you are already at endowed, as I believe he has, every single Union, because the alternative was so hor- 45 or 50%, you have no margin to raise taxes child in this country, in every single neigh- rible that, in fact, people would follow us without threatening freedom. borhood, then we have an obligation to make even when mad at us. And if you believe in the Tocqueville vi- that endowment real. We’re going to have to learn to listen a lot. sion of volunteerism, and Marvin Olasky’s And if we are seen as being truly serious, We’re going to have to learn to learn a lot. great book The Tragedy of Human Compas- and we are truly serious, I believe that for We’re going to have to learn that leadership sion, which I think was the key expla- more than a generation, the vast over- doesn’t mean that you’ve got to fix breakfast nation—and I thank Bill Bennett, who is whelming majority of Americans will give us for everybody every morning. And leadership here tonight, for having originally asked me the chance to implement that seriousness in doesn’t mean that the ‘cleanup campaign’ is to read it—it was the key explanation that creating a better future for all of us. you cleaning out the garage of every one of volunteerism, charities, and a willingness to An example I though about, these are U.S. your neighbors. But it does mean building go out and be involved in your community is Representative JIM ROGAN’s twins that are in teams, being patient, being persistent. vastly more effective at changing the human this picture right up here. They are wonder- It does mean telling the truth. You can’t condition than is larger government. ful young girls. JIM loves them deeply. And have prosperity in Russia without the rule of And in that process, I believe, we can all I would say to each of you is, we ought to law, and free enterprise, and private prop- eliminate the death tax, cut the capital be able to put the face of every child their erty. You can’t have honesty and prosperity gains tax to 10%, and put ourselves in a posi- age, of every single background, in every sin- in Indonesia if you have corruption. You tion as a country to teach the rest of the gle neighborhood, in that picture. And they can’t tolerate, in the long run, a government world that we want big active citizens, not should have just as great a change to be like North Korea because it is literally kill- big active bureaucracies, because that’s what happy, to be healthy, and to know that they ing the people of North Korea. And you can’t makes freedom truly strong. are going to have a good future. And we ignore Rwanda just because it is too difficult Third, and I’m going to step on virtually should just force ourselves to do the hard for CNN to get a reporter to cover the butch- every interest group in the country with this work of freedom until that happens. next one. It comes directly out of Adam And finally, and this is going to sound a ery. Smith’s point about the modernization of little daring, and I don’t quite know how to We have an obligation to systematically, the Middle Ages. We should have the freedom say it, I lack U.S. Senate Chaplain, Rev. calmly and methodically lead across this to use all the aspects of the information age Lloyd Ogilvie’s brilliance with interpreting planet everywhere, and we can’t avoid it. to improve our lives. God’s will and language that the Senate will Now, I think that does mean we’re going to We, as patients, ought to have all the actually listen to. Not always obey, but at have to learn to build institutions, better knowledge about our health records. We least listen, and that’s a major achievement. systems. should have all the knowledge about our own I think, and I want to say this as clearly as I think it means we’ve got to have a de- disease. We should have all the knowledge I can because it’s so important. I think we fense budget and a ‘policing’ budget. They about all the different possible cures. ought to stand for freedom for the entire are not the same thing. And for the last We, as citizens, should have access to every human race. seven years, the ‘policing’ budget has eaten expert system we can to apply the law to For fifty years, we led an anti-Communist up the defense budget. ourselves, with minimum payments to attor- coalition. And we won. We are now the pre- I think it means a larger total expenditure neys rather than maximum payments. eminent power on the planet, and the time on national security, a total overhaul of the We should have a common-sense approach has come to ask of ourselves, ‘‘for what pur- State Department, a total overhaul of the in- to the environment. We should have a 24- pose has God given us this level of pre-emi- telligence capabilities. If you knew the num- hour a day, seven-day-a-week, year-round nence?’’ bers, and I don’t know if they are declas- learning system where teachers get paid And I believe the answer is exactly what sified or not, but if you knew the numbers of based on results rather than on tenure, and Jefferson, Washington and Lincoln would people we have in our security apparatus where, in fact, students have a chance to be have said: That we owe to every citizen. who can speak fluent Chinese, or can speak learners all their lives, not just from 9 until Remember that the Declaration of Inde- fluent Serbia, you would be humiliated at 3 when it is convenient. pendence begins by saying, ‘‘We hold these the inability of the richest, most powerful But that requires the courage, every morn- truths to be self-evident. That all men are nation in the world to get its act together. ing, to get up and look at the technology and created equal, and that they are endowed by This is not a commentary just on this ad- say, ‘‘how can I strengthen the consumer- their Creator with certain unalienable ministration. This is going to take serious slash-citizen’s rights,’’ rather than ‘‘how can rights, among which are life, liberty and the thought, serious work, and whoever the next I protect the guild the interest group, or pursuit of happiness.’’ president is, they’re going to need leadership whoever it is that is currently protecting Notice that phrase, that entire phrase, is from the Congress based on a lot of hearings, their rice bowl.’’ universal. It doesn’t say they are American and a lot of hard work.

VerDate jul 14 2003 10:55 Sep 29, 2004 Jkt 069102 PO 00000 Frm 00014 Fmt 0689 Sfmt 0634 E:\BR99\E22AP9.000 E22AP9 7340 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS April 22, 1999 Having said that, those are five large long- Remember, the danger may not be that we a part of this extraordinary process by which term goals. Let me very briefly talk about would actually do nothing, the danger is the ethnically most diverse nation in the three immediate challenges. that their confusion would lead to a war. world governs itself, and seeks to provide op- One: I believe the Republican party should 1914, the First World War was an accident. portunity for all of its citizens. adamantly, at every level, adopt the 11th Nobody thought they’d fight. 1939, Hitler Commandment that Ronald Reagan used. promised his generals that Chamberlain In that time, I’ve watched Barry Gold- And I think we ought to say, ‘let’s have a would never fight, and Britain would stay water launch a movement that was consid- great presidential nominating process, with out of the war. 1950, the American Secretary ered a little nutty, and went down in glo- no negative ads. Let’s get together and find of State publicly announced, ‘‘Korea is out- rious defeat in 1964, and created modern con- who is the best person with the best ideas.’ side our defense zone,’’ and the North Kore- servatism. But the idea that we should have eight, or ans believed him. I watched Ronald Reagan give wonderful nine, or ten of our candidates destroy each Wars occur more often because democ- speeches, retire as Governor, emerge briefly other, I think is absolutely ludicrous. And I racies are confused, than because people are to be defeated for the nomination, do a radio think every serious leader of this party deliberately risk-taking. And this president show from the ranch, and then emerge, in a ought to say to every single candidate, ‘go has now set a very high standard for the magic moment, as America lost its way, as out there and tell everybody your best ideas United States. malaise took over, as the economy decayed, in a positive way,’ and let’s have the person And I believe there is a simple responsi- as the Russians invaded Afghanistan, and with the best ideas win the nomination, and bility. First, the president should go to the with Margaret Thatcher gave us a dual per- then let’s all get together behind them. nation and outline unequivocally, in clear, formance of the power of human leadership But I do think if we don’t do that, you’re simple language what are our goals. If going to have a bloodbath for three or four Milosevic is this evil, how can he stay in that changed the future. And in eight brief months next year, and out of that bloodbath power? If his government has been this hor- years he defeated the Soviet Empire, rees- you’re going to have an incumbent adminis- rible, how can it be tolerated? If the Alba- tablished the American economy, reestab- tration with an incumbent president, with nians are to go back home, how can they do lished American morale, and reminded us of the media bias, prepared to spend six months so while being disarmed, as the Germans sug- the difference between evil empires and bas- taking our nominee apart. And I think we gested? tions of freedom. owe it to America to have a positive, unified So what are our goals? Against what I was privileged to serve with President Republican party offering a candidate with should we measure America two years from Bush at a decisive moment, which is often good ideas. now? What should have happened? How will forgotten by our friends, when every member Second: Because it is so currently topical, we know we were successful? And then the of the Democratic elected leadership in the let me just say briefly; I strongly urge that president and the Congress should debate Congress voted against Desert Storm. We we end the Independent Counsel process, those goals. tend to forget after victory how rapidly they dead. Not modified, not improved, not par- If they are the right goals, if that requires are forgotten. And yet President Bush had tial. Kill it. Get rid of it. Go back to the sys- declaring war on Serbia, then we should de- the courage, from day one, to insist that Ku- tem we had before 1972. It has been a mon- clare was on Serbia. If it requires sending a wait would be taken, that Saddam’s army strosity. It has served no one well, and it military force of enormous proportions, we criminalizes and undermines the process of should send such a force. would be destroyed, and that we would do American government in a way which is But that should not be a politician’s deci- what was necessary. tragic. sion. Nor a presidential candidate’s decision. With your help, with your hard work, with And I would also urge all of you to thor- The reason we call General Shelton ‘‘Chair- your contributions and your tireless effort, ough reexamine the process by which the Ex- man of the Joint Chiefs’’ is because he is as- we broke a 40 year monopoly, transferred ecutive Branch now gets appointees, because signed the duty of designing the campaign power in the legislative branch, and truly we stop many of the best people in this coun- plan to execute the will of the American peo- changed the lives for millions of Americans. try from even thinking about applying, and ple. there ought to be some way to appoint some And his assignment should be simple. With As Mary said earlier so generously, all of kind of commission of honorable people on a minimum American casualties, in the short- us working together saved people with diabe- bipartisan basis, so that the next adminis- est possible time, deliver victory, as defined tes, we saved people with breast cancer, we tration will not find that two-thirds or half by the president. put massively more money into medical re- of the people it wants can’t even consider Having finished with Serbia, we should re- search, we began a process of preventive dis- trying to meet the ludicrous standards we turn briefly to Iraq, and the world will be ease approaches that I think are going to now set, and trying to fill out the materials safe for at least twenty years, because the lead to wellness and major changes. we now provide. world will have learned that when the Amer- We saved hundreds of thousands of Ameri- Lastly, I could hardly come back in lieu of ican nation is serious, it is un-opposable. cans from poverty by moving then into work Kosovo, and not comment for a minute. But if we are irresolute in Serbia, if we ac- and education, we taught their children that Kosovo is very, very serious. Much more se- cept a papered-over, phony victory, not all rious than the evening news understands. the press conferences and all the spinning in there is a better future than waiting on the The President of the United States has the world will convince the North Koreans, check and sitting in public housing. compared Milosevic to Hitler. Has suggested the Chinese, the Indians, the Iranians, the We created opportunities for our parents to that this is the worst process since Nazi Ger- Iraqis, the Russians and others, that we are have better choices in Medicare, and we many. Has announced that the United States a nation to be dealt with seriously. began the slow, laborious process of rebuild- and all the power of NATO is being brought This president has put his stamp in the ing and rethinking our defense and our intel- to bear on a tiny, limited country, called middle of the table. He has said the Amer- ligence capabilities. Serbia. ican nation is now committed, and NATO, The Germans yesterday floated an idea which is essentially the American nation and From that tiny country, on the fringe of which would be a disaster. A papered-over, its European allies, is now engaged, and we the Atlantic Ocean, to a nation which stands negotiated settlement, with a dictator who have to insist, for our children’s safety, that astride the world, it has been an amazing would have won. we succeed. process of two hundred and twenty-three Let me be very clear at two levels here. Let me close, by first of all thanking all of years this July 4th. Our generation has a First, Serbia is important because the world you. As was mentioned several times, part of chance to extend that freedom, that pros- is watching. this resource is going to go to Juvenile Dia- perity, and that safety to every person in If the Chinese decide that we are an irreso- betes research. The rest is going to go to America, and to every person in the world. lute, finicky, confused, timid nation, they help launch our political efforts, to continue It is, in Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s will try to take Taiwan. And we could stum- with vision and strategies and education. words, our generation’s rendezvous with des- ble into a war of extraordinary proportions, Let me also close at a very personal level. tiny. because they are serious people. In 1958, as many of you have heard me say, If the Iranians decide that they could take my step-father took me to the battlefield at To each of you in public office I wish you out Tel Aviv, and we would do nothing—I Verdun. He was serving in the United States God-speed. As Marianne pointed out the don’t want to bet that the Iranians wouldn’t Army, as he did for 27 years. And he con- night we announced we would step down, we try it. vinced me, at the end of my freshman year of will be around in public life, and we will If the Iraqis decide that after all of our high school, that civilizations die, that wars work with you in every way we can to give eight years of bluffing, they could use bac- are real, that freedom is precious. our children, and now my grandchildren, a teriological or chemical weapons against It has been for 40 years, 41 years this com- better future. Thank you, good luck, and their neighbors and we would do nothing. ing August, my privilege, as a citizen, to be God Bless you.

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