[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 89 (Monday, June 23, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H4138]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 TIME LIMIT OF INVOLVEMENT OF UNITED STATES TROOPS IN BOSNIA NECESSARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 21, 1997, the gentleman from Washington [Mr. Metcalf] is 
recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. METCALF. Mr. Speaker, last December I came to this floor to 
oppose the deployment of troops to Bosnia because I felt that the 
mission had no chance of solving their problems. Stability in that 
troubled area will not be achieved easily, and only achieved with the 
solid support of those people in the former Yugoslavia and the 
neighboring nations in Europe.
  In my speech last December, I stated, ``We have learned through sad 
experience that it is easy to rush troops into an area of contention, 
but it is extremely difficult to solve the problems once we get there, 
and even more difficult to get out in a timely and honorable way.''
  I still stand by that statement. It is absolutely true.
  Mr. Speaker, unfortunately this has become indeed the reality in 
Bosnia.
  Unfortunately, the President failed, before sending our troops there, 
to outline our goals specifically that our military had to achieve 
before they could safely leave. We went in there with an ill-defined 
mission. A well-defined exit strategy based on the achievement of a set 
of tactical goals has been lacking from the start. Now the President, 
after breaking his promise to have them out by the end of the year, has 
extended the deployment at least 18 months from the promised 1-year 
deadline.
  Two amendments that will be debated today are consistent with the 
policy of previous Congresses.
  The Fiscal Year 1994 Department of Defense Appropriation Act, Public 
Law 103-139, section 8158(a), stated: It is the sense of Congress that 
none of the funds appropriated or otherwise made available by this act 
should be available for the purposes of deploying the United States 
Armed Forces to participate in the implementation of a peace settlement 
in Bosnia-Hercegovina unless previously authorized by Congress.
  Further, Fiscal Year 1994 Department of Defense Appropriation Act, 
section 8151, cut off funds for the military operation in Somalia after 
March 31, 1994. This is similar to the proposals presented by the 
amendments today. Congress is using its constitutional power to not 
provide for the authorization of funds.
  Mr. Speaker, the time for Congress to act is now. We cannot continue 
to shirk our responsibility. No one can stand on this floor and say 
that this Congress has not given the President more than enough chance 
for his plan in Bosnia, whatever it was, to work. It would also be 
inappropriate for anyone to come to claim that we are on the verge of 
real progress in this region. Unfortunately, the current situation is a 
continuation of the same stalemate that has plagued the mission for a 
majority of its existence. We must bring our troops home at the 
earliest possible time, be that December 1997 or June 1998.
  The troops deserve Congress' support, and the best way to show that 
support is to bring them home.

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