[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 58 (Thursday, May 11, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S3906]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         MILITARY CONSTRUCTION

  Mr. SMITH of Oregon. I have had the privilege for the last hour of 
sitting in that chair and hearing our colleagues debate the issue of 
NATO and our place in Europe and the broader national security issues 
and the specific issue of whether or not we should remain in Kosovo. It 
is entirely appropriate that this body debate this issue. No one should 
criticize any Senator for bringing that up or for crafting a piece of 
legislation designed to focus this Government on an exit strategy. 
Everyone knows we need one.
  I add my voice to that of Senator Lugar, Senator Levin, and others, 
who have expressed concern that while it is appropriate to debate, it 
is not appropriate to leave at this moment. I wish I could say it is 
time to leave, but I believe America still has a place in Europe. I 
believe if we set in motion the wheels to leave Kosovo, we will set in 
motion the mechanism to decouple the United States and NATO with 
Europe. I think we need to be very thoughtful about that.
  I wish Mr. Putin and the new Russian Federation well, and I hope they 
join the democratic nations of Europe. I hope we can include them in 
more ways than ever imaginable throughout all of my lifetime. But I 
think the jury is still out. I hear from their neighbors, still, they 
are afraid of what happened in Chechnya. The Nation of Georgia 
trembles. I know Moldovians do, I know Ukranians do, I know Romanians 
do. They have all been in my office this week, worried that the United 
States would pull out its stabilizing influence, an influence that, 
frankly, these emerging democracies look to, count on, and still need. 
I know we are tired of it. I know we are tired of funding it. I know 
our fighting men and women don't like being in a police operation.
  But I also know the cost of leaving Europe is a cost that is much 
larger than the one we are paying now to stay in Europe. I hope 
President Clinton and Madeleine Albright and others in our executive 
branch can figure out how we can get out of there, but get out in a way 
that does not destroy this institution called NATO, which the world 
still needs. As Senator Lugar said, that day may come, that we can go 
home and the Europeans say goodbye, but that day is not now.
  I think we should have a vigorous debate, but I think we should be 
exceedingly careful before we say to our European allies and to 
everyone watching the United States and counting on the United States, 
that we are pulling out of Dodge. I don't think we can say that yet. I 
hope we can say it soon. But I know we can't say it now.

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