[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 65 (Monday, May 20, 2002)]
[House]
[Pages H2637-H2638]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SUPPORT OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Foley) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. FOLEY. Mr. Speaker, last week, a number of Members came on the 
floor during 1-minute speeches, based on a report that was in on CBS 
News reporting that there was some speculation, if you will, that 
President Bush actually knew the events of September 11 would happen 
and that he did nothing to prevent them. To say I was outraged would 
minimize my feelings on this issue.
  I wanted to address this Chamber late Thursday because, as I heard 
these speakers one by one mount the podium to challenge the Commander 
in Chief

[[Page H2638]]

of this country, I was not only shocked but chagrined that, in the 
middle of a fight against terrorism, while our men and women are in 
Afghanistan and our soldiers are standing vigil around the world, that 
Members would actually speculate not only openly but antagonistically 
impugn the President's reputation.
  I heard this weeks ago, when a Member of this body speculated that 
not only did he know but he kept the information quiet so people could 
profit from their knowledge; that investors and people who bought 
defense stock and others, and this Member actually singled out a few 
and suggested they were in fact in on the game. Now, clearly, I thought 
that was so far out in left field that I would not even give it 
credence. But then respected Members of this body got up and continued 
the assault this week, including a gentleman from New York, who even 
speculated that the President, if he knew, was personally responsible 
for the deaths in New York.
  Now, talk about shock, talk about outrage, talk about reckless 
commentary. We all want to know what happened September 11, and we all 
want to talk about the failures potentially of intelligence, and we all 
want to look at the system and try to perfect it so it does not happen 
again. The warnings in the last 24 hours are shocking and are of great 
concern to every American and should be to every Member of this body. 
But for a Member to sit here and randomly speculate that he or she 
believes that this President, or any President, would know of this 
information and sit on it, is just sheer lunacy, and it is regrettable. 
I think those that made those comments should seek to have them taken 
down, because I think they are not only reprehensible but they diminish 
our united efforts on terrorism.
  There is one thing certain in America, as we all think about the 
tragedy that began in New York and spread to Washington and to the 
fields of Pennsylvania, that many lives were lost due to people who did 
not respect our country. They do not respect what we stand for. They do 
not respect democracy. But to have our own Members of this Congress 
speculate alongside them and question the dedication of a President?
  I remember when there was an invasion of Bosnia, and there was 
speculation because of a scandal enveloping the President that he may 
have proceeded to bomb Bosnia because he was trying to deflect the 
attention from the scandal in Washington. I myself, as a Republican, 
took umbrage to that. I was outraged by that comment as well, because I 
felt to speculate that a good, kind man, like President Clinton or 
President Bush, would knowingly risk innocent lives, one to deflect 
criticism from themselves and one because they were not paying 
attention to the job, is just the height of irresponsibility.
  We have a lot to do in this body, and we have a lot of questions to 
ask. Seems like those questions are fired fast and furious at the other 
end of this hall by those who want to interview Governor Ridge; they 
want answers to all these questions; they want to see the detailed 
briefings; they want to lay out all of this for the world to see. And 
the ones I am concerned about seeing this the most are the terrorists 
that may still be residing in this country.
  So rather than be divisive, let us pull ourselves together. There 
will be plenty of time to lead inquiry; but we are actively engaged 
right now in the pursuit of freedom, we are actively engaged in 
protecting our citizens from terrorism, we are actively engaged in 
trying to get all agencies of the Federal Government to cooperate, the 
FBI, the CIA, Border Patrol, and Immigration. So I think our collective 
efforts, rather than to see who can point fingers and accuse the 
Commander in Chief and the President of this great country, we should 
be focusing our efforts to strengthen our common resolve against our 
enemy.
  Our enemy is not at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue. Our enemy 
should not be the Republican or Democratic Party, or who controls this 
Chamber. This fight is not over who runs this place. It is a fight for 
democracy, and it is a fight for freedom. And I hope my colleagues will 
be cautious when they seek to accuse this fine President of shirking 
his responsibility and his duty.
  I am proud of him. I think he has done a masterful job. And I 
continue to give him 100 percent of my support.

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