[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 73 (Wednesday, May 19, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H3299-H3300]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, Lincoln once said, ``United we stand, 
divided we fall.'' Well, that old adage is quite appropriate to the 
Kosovo crisis, and I am sure Mr. Milosevic understands it very well.
  Just take a look at NATO. The British are calling for ground troops 
and a summer invasion of Yugoslavia; while the Germans, the Finns, and 
the Italians are openly opposed to ground troops and are engaged in a 
hectic peacekeeping effort calling for a pause in the NATO bombing.
  Meanwhile, the European Union leaders met with Russian delegates with 
very little progress, and no signs of any agreement on how to proceed.
  Now, on the other hand, the Clinton administration may or may not be 
opposed to ground troops. It certainly does not support a bombing 
pause. Now, is anyone else confused?
  Mr. Speaker, one week ago 11 Members of Congress, both Democrats and 
Republicans, tried to provide the administration with a simple 
framework for peace in Kosovo, in complete cooperation with the Russian 
Duma. The administration, however, came out whining about freelance 
diplomacy, but sadly they have completely missed the point.
  Our bipartisan effort is simply an attempt to get the Clinton 
administration and the rest of NATO singing off the same sheet of 
music, and to bring solidarity, consensus, and a peaceful conclusion to 
this confusing crisis.

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