[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 35 (Friday, February 24, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E426]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  NATIONAL SECURITY REVITALIZATION ACT

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                               speech of

                          HON. MELVIN L. WATT

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 17, 1995

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 7) to 
     revitalize the national security of the United States.

  Mr. WATT of North Carolina. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 7 didn't come out of a 
committee on which I sit. So I'm sure my colleagues are happy that I 
have not been especially active in debating or trying to amend this 
bill. Before I exit stage right following my high level of involvement 
on the series of crime bills, however, I want to talk about this bill 
and about the outrageous inconsistency of my Republican colleagues.
  First, last week my Republican colleagues told the Congress and the 
courts to get out of the way of police and let the police kick in the 
doors of American citizens, search and seize their homes and papers 
whenever police officers thought that reasonable. They said the 4th 
amendment and the rules the Supreme Court took years to spell out 
micromanaged the police. Today, under H.R. 7, my Republican colleagues 
want us to micromanage the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
State, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and even the Commander in Chief, the 
President of the United States.
  Second, for weeks my Republican colleagues have told us here on this 
House floor and have told the American people that the top national 
priority we have is getting rid of the national deficit. Yet this bill 
(H.R. 7) sets the stage for revitalization of the outdated cold war, 
star wars program at a cost of $40 billion or more.
  Well, I've concluded that there are two things my Republican 
colleagues are consistent about:
  First, they don't believe in the principle that debate and 
deliberation are important parts of democracy. That's evident from the 
rule under which H.R. 7 is being considered which deprives the Members, 
and more importantly the American people, of the kind of debate and 
deliberation such important matters as the safety and security of our 
Nation deserve.
  Second, they'll do anything to undermine, not uphold, the 
Constitution of the United States. Last week it was the 4th amendment 
and habeas corpus. Today, it's an attack on the principle that the 
President is the Commander in Chief of our military forces. I thought 
it was the Soviet Union which had a central committee. This is the 
United States of America. My Constitution doesn't provide for a central 
committee or for any kind of commission to govern our military. Mine 
says in article II, section 2 that ``The President shall be Commander 
in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States * * *''.
  I can't help but believe that we're doing our Nation and our 
Constitution a major disservice today by the passage of this bill. I 
can't help but believe that this is a political decision, that there is 
no way this bill would be passed if we had a Republican President 
today. But, again, my Republican colleagues don't worry about 
consistency. For them, politics is far more important than public 
policy and politics is far more important than consistency.
  National defense should never be a partisan issue. This is a truly 
sad day for America.


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