[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 120 (Friday, September 20, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S8967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THREE GREAT CHALLENGES FACING OUR NATION

  Mrs. CLINTON. Mr. President, in the recent colloquy and discussion 
that the Senator from West Virginia, our current Chair, had with the 
Senator from Florida, many important issues were raised about homeland 
security and how best to pursue the defense of our homeland.
  I don't think anyone argues we now face three great challenges in our 
Nation. First, we have a national security challenge. Our men and women 
in uniform are addressing that challenge even as we speak--all over the 
world from Afghanistan to the Persian Gulf to the border of North and 
South Korea, and many other places as well. All of us support our 
military and have voted to provide the largest appropriations ever in 
our history to give our men and women who put themselves in harm's way 
all of the resources, technology and compensations that our great 
military deserves.
  We have a new challenge; that is, the challenge of homeland security. 
Certainly, many of us have not had to think of this issue as we are 
now.
  On September 11 of last year when we were so grievously attacked, it 
became clear that we had to begin to apply the techniques of security 
much closer to home that we have used to defend America's interests 
abroad for so many generations. We have to take a very hard look at our 
vulnerabilities, our infrastructure, our borders, and our public health 
capacity to deal with biological or chemical warfare. And it requires 
every one of us--not just those in elective office but every citizen--
to become more vigilant and to understand that we are truly facing some 
serious threats.
  At the same time, though, there is no reason for us not to debate the 
best way to defend ourselves. In every generation of America, we have 
had great debates about how to fight wars and how to structure our 
national security. Now we are having a debate about how to deal with 
the new demands of homeland security.

  I applaud the Chair for his absolutely rock-solid commitment, his 
totally uncynical and heartfelt commitment to make sure we do this 
right. It is a huge undertaking. Are we being asked to merge 
departments just so somebody can say we did something or are we going 
to do it right? It is the right of patriotism to ask hard questions. 
That is who we are as Americans. We are not people who are blindly led. 
We are not sheep who follow any leader's oratory. We are an 
independent, free-spirited, liberty-loving people.
  When we have debates, either on the floor of the Senate or in the 
media, about the right way to proceed, those of us who engage in that 
debate do so out of a deep wellspring of love and devotion to our 
country. No one exemplifies that more than the senior Senator from West 
Virginia.
  In addition to our national security challenges and our homeland 
security challenges, we have all of the challenges we had on September 
10 of last year. We have an economy that is stalled. We have a so-
called ``jobless recovery.'' We can't seem to come together on 
important issues.
  I am delighted to see my colleague from Arizona in the Chamber. 
Senator McCain has been a leader and advocate for prescription drugs 
and for patients getting the right to have the treatment their doctors 
prescribe--not an HMO or some bureaucrat somewhere.
  There are many important issues we should be debating that also will 
determine the quality of our life and the opportunities for our 
children.
  I hope, as people tune in to see what happens on the Senate floor--
when they see the Senator from West Virginia or the Senator from 
Arizona taking to the floor to talk about an issue--that they recognize 
that we believe we are acting in the great tradition, not only of the 
American Senate and Congress, but of America's citizenry, because there 
isn't any greater title than one can have than citizen of the United 
States of America.
  I, as one Senator, appreciate the Senator's vigilance, his constant 
reminder to the rest of us that we are here because of our Founders, 
their genius, and the Constitution which they bequeathed to us. The 
debates we are holding on this important issue of national homeland 
security and other pressing domestic issues are in the tradition of 
those Founders.
  I thank the Chair. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Arizona, Mr. McCain.

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