[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 44 (Friday, March 19, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S2997]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE KOSOVO COMMITMENT

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, I am pleased that we are now going to 
talk about the Kosovo situation. I think it is a very fluid resolution 
that we have before us but, nevertheless, I think it is very important 
that we begin to talk about the situation there, because, frankly, in 
the last 24 hours, things have changed greatly. When the Serbs refused 
to sign the peace agreement, that started a different dynamic.
  Many Members of Congress have been in constant meetings with members 
of the administration, including the President, about just where we are 
now, where is NATO, what are the commitments and, most important, I 
think from all of the meetings, it has become very clear that many 
Members of Congress want to know what is the totality of the 
commitment.
  We are beginning to have to address the issue of what kind of hostile 
possibilities will there be if the NATO forces, which includes the 
United States, go forward into any kind of a military intervention in 
Kosovo.
  We do not know what Milosevic is planning. I believe if President 
Milosevic starts to take human lives, that is going to trigger a very 
swift response.
  I hope the President of Serbia will realize that he could solidify 
this Congress in a way that nothing else would if he decides that he is 
going to embark on that course, because I think our forces are ready to 
stop something that would be the annihilation of innocent people.
  Mr. President, I think many are not prepared to go into a full-scale 
altercation with a sovereign country until we have looked at the 
entirety of that commitment. We need to know the entirety of the 
commitment of our allies and what we ourselves are willing to do in 
light of our own principles and our own standards for when we would put 
American troops into harm's way, into foreign conflicts, and into a 
situation in which there is no peace agreement. There is even a 
question of whether it is a real peace agreement if that peace 
agreement is arrived at through bombing.
  This is a watershed period for our country, and the Members of 
Congress who have been participating in the meetings are trying to put 
before the President and the administration and the people of this 
country exactly what are our options.
  I believe it is going to be very important in the next week or so 
that we do know what our commitments are, if we are going to propose to 
take any kind of hostile action, that we know what is the end game, 
what is the strategy, what is the commitment of dollars as well as 
potential lives. The President of the United States must come forward 
and not only inform Congress, not only work with Congress on these 
plans, but inform and work with the American people to explain exactly 
what is proposed and what will be the end game if we get into this kind 
of conflict.
  Mr. President, this is a sobering time. I am pleased that my 
amendment is the pending business.
  I am pleased that Senator Lott has now offered a second-degree 
amendment, because we now have two options. We have the option of an 
up-or-down vote on whether we are ready to send troops into Kosovo, or 
we have a second approach, which is, if we are going to do this, let's 
have a plan. Those are two options, and in the next 72 hours, I think 
it will become more and more clear what kind of approach we should 
take.
  There is one thing that is certain today, and that is, the Congress 
of the United States has the power to declare war. I suggest that means 
the power to send our troops into harm's way for a long period of time 
if we are expecting a conflict. If this is the case, then it is 
imperative we talk about this issue up front, we have a full debate in 
the Senate and House of Representatives, that the people of America 
know what the plans are, know what the potential liabilities are, and 
the people of America realize what is at stake. There is no substitute 
for this kind of planning and this kind of communication.

  So I am pleased that we are now on this amendment. I look forward to 
working with all the Members of the Senate so that everyone can be 
heard and so that, hopefully, we will be able to come to an agreement, 
but if not, a clear agreement that there will be a real vote and that 
Congress will play its constitutional role in what happens next; 
because I believe that what happens in Kosovo and the rest of the 
Balkans in the decisions that will be made in the next few weeks will 
perhaps have consequences for years to come in our country.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Bunning). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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