[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 28, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H2454]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 PRESIDENT NEEDS TO CONSULT CONGRESS AND AMERICAN PEOPLE WHEN SENDING 
                             TROOPS TO WAR

  (Mrs. FOWLER asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. FOWLER. Mr. Speaker, I just want to address the House in 
relation to some of the comments that my colleagues have just made.
  This has been a very serious day today. We have had some serious 
debate. Some people really have really been struggling with their 
consciences and their decisions because we have been talking about 
young Americans' lives, because we have young American lives at risk 
today. There are young men and women from my district that are flying 
over Yugoslavia tonight, dropping some of those bombs.
  The message that I think was sent today was twofold. One was to the 
President of the United States, that whenever he is going to send our 
young people into harm's way, he needs to come to this Congress, he 
needs to consult with the Congress, and he needs to go to the American 
people.
  This is not a unilateral decision that should be made by the 
President. He needs to come to the Congress, the representatives of the 
people. This is not about whether we support the troops or not. We all 
support our troops, and we are going to give them every resource they 
need. But the President of the United States needs to come to this 
Congress.
  And second is that we do have a democracy that works. Our forefathers 
were so wise because this is an institution that works. And while we 
disagree and sometimes we like the way the vote comes out and sometimes 
we do not, the institution of our government works and it will continue 
to work for as long as this country lasts.

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