[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 132 (Tuesday, September 20, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: September 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]


                              {time}  1220
 
                      OPERATION RESTORE DEMOCRACY

  (Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, Operation Restore Democracy appears to be 
the best solution among a number of bad alternatives.
  I am pleased that the diplomatic course in Haiti reached a reasonable 
conclusion before the all-out invasion reached the point of no return.
  While President Clinton clearly mismanaged the situation in Haiti 
from the beginning, I do believe that he should be congratulated for 
giving diplomacy a chance.
  Former President Carter, General Powell, and Senator Nunn were a 
successful team in this delicate diplomacy. And they deserve our 
thanks.
  We must remember, however, when our troops came ashore in Port-au-
Prince yesterday, the Haitian problem became an American problem.
  Let us all hope that the 15,000 American troops serving in this 
mission will leave shortly after the dictators step down. We must not 
prolong this mission unnecessarily.
  One lesson we should keep in mind during this mission in Haiti is 
that we can ill afford to slash our military budget further and then 
expect our men and women in uniform to feed, clothe, and protect the 
world.

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