[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 190 (Thursday, November 30, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S17872-S17873]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 SENDING UNITED STATES TROOPS TO BOSNIA

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Madam President, I wish to say briefly that I have 
just heard the majority leader, Senator Dole, and Senator McCain state 
that they would be introducing a resolution--I am sure a bipartisan 
resolution--to support the President's efforts to send troops to 
Bosnia.
  Madam President, there are no two people I know in the Senate that I 
respect more, and certainly no two people in the Senate who have given 
more in the military service of our country than Senator McCain and 
Senator Dole. I respect them, and I know that they are coming to this 
decision in a way that is very thoughtful and statesmanlike.
  I am very sad that this is going to happen because I disagree totally 
with the conclusions they have reached. I think every Member is going 
to have to really search his or her conscience to decide what is the 
responsibility of a Senator or a Member of Congress in this type of 
action. I know all of us are going to vote our conscience. I do not 
think anyone will come to their conclusion based on anything except 
what they think is right.
  I am sure debate will be heated, but I think it is very important 
that we have an alternative to the resolution introduced by the 
majority leader because many of us feel that this is the wrong decision 
and that for us to exercise our responsibility as Members of the 
Senate, we must speak out against deploying troops to Bosnia. So there 
will be an alternative and I hope we will be able to vote on a clear 
alternative, and that is a resolution to disapprove this deployment of 
our troops.
  We will go into debate more in the next week, and I do appreciate the 
fact that we are going to have the opportunity next week, rather than 
some later time after it is too late to try to have an impact on the 
President's decision.
  I have read the Constitution. It is very clear to me that the 
Founders of our country were specific in not giving the war powers to 
the President alone.
  In fact, in The Federalist Papers, both Mr. Madison and Mr. Hamilton 
specifically said this is not a monarchy, therefore, the President 
alone should not be able to wage war. So the question becomes, what is 
a war? Are we sending our troops into a hostile situation in which they 
will be in harm's way? And does that mean that they are in a war?
  I believe sending troops into a situation in which we believe there 
is a good chance for fatalities must be done by the President and 
Congress together, not by the President alone. I think it is most 
important, and I think it was part of the balance of powers, that the 
founders of our country were very careful to put in our Constitution 
that this kind of decision not be made by one person.
  I am very concerned that we are also setting a precedent for our 
troops to be deployed on the ground in border conflicts, in ethnic 
conflicts, in civil wars that were never contemplated when we signed on 
to in the NATO Treaty. Nowhere in the NATO Treaty does it say 

[[Page S17873]]
that we should be required to go into a country that is not a NATO 
country, a country which has not been invaded by a hostile force, a 
country which is, in fact, in a civil war.
  So, Madam President, the debate will come. And people will be very 
emotional about it. I am very emotional about it. I want to take my 
responsibility as a Member of the U.S. Senate, as a person given that 
responsibility by the voters of my State with obligations that are 
constitutional, to try to make sure that not only do our young men and 
women in the armed services have everything that we can give them when 
they chose to give their lives to protect our freedom, but that they 
also have the leadership that has the judgment to know that only when 
it is a U.S. security interest at stake is it worth the risk of their 
lives. And, Madam President, I hope we can make the case that that is 
not the situation in Bosnia.
  I want to help the Bosnian people. We have done our part. We have 
shouldered about 60 or 70 percent of the cost of this effort so far. We 
have been there for the parties to come together. We have been a 
catalyst for the peace agreement. And I give the President credit for 
that. He deserves credit for bringing the people to the peace table and 
for hammering out this peace agreement.
  But I think it is most important that we have many options to help 
the people of Bosnia. I do not think United States troops on the ground 
are among the best things that we can do for the Bosnian people, not 
for NATO, and not for America. It is not in our best interest to send 
ground troops to Bosnia. The President of the United States has 
unfortunately allowed our allies and others in the world to somehow 
argue that the only way we can show our commitment to peace is to have 
ground troops.
  I think there are many other ways we can support this peace 
agreement. We can continue to provide air support. We can continue to 
play a strategic role. We are giving money now, and we will continue to 
give money. We can provide intelligence support for them, which we have 
been doing, and which we can do. We can arm and train the Moslems 
without being part of this peacekeeping force. In fact, I think that 
would be a far better policy. So, many options are there for us to help 
the Bosnian people. But placing American troops in harm's way is not an 
option that I think is right, not for America, not for NATO, and not 
for the people of Bosnia.
  Thank you, Madam President.
  Mr. INHOFE addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.
  Mr. INHOFE. I ask unanimous consent I be allowed to speak in morning 
business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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